Through the first three weeks of any NFL season, the waiver priority list is determined based on last year’s final records — or essentially the draft order from the previous season. After the third week, the order resets — giving the worst teams the first crack at picking up players who may be cut between now and the rest of the season.
We’ve reached that critical juncture, which means the Dolphins are getting a boost in the waiver priority after starting the season 0-3.
The Dolphins currently sit tied for 4th on the waiver wire but figure to get more clarity (and elevation) on the list within the next few weeks. The Dolphins are currently slated to play Washington, Pittsburgh and New York Jets before Week 10 — so this group will shake itself out quite definitively.
For the Dolphins, being tied to the top of the waiver wire serves as their benchmark to ensure they reach season’s end with their goal — the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. But keep a watchful eye on how high the Steelers sit on this list too, as Miami will hold Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in 2020 thanks to the trade for DB Minkah Fitzpatrick just last week.
The higher Pittsburgh sits, the better.
