• The Dolphins reset, and the Steelers load up: Miami sheds significant money off its books in the deal, while Pittsburgh acquires two former Pro Bowlers.

• Jalen Ramsey’s versatility will be an important asset: Darius Slay will likely occupy one starting spot on the outside, with Ramsey potentially taking the other side. If the Steelers feel Joey Porter Jr. is still a viable option despite his subpar 56.3 PFF coverage grade last season, then Ramsey can play in the slot, as he has for nearly 1,300 snaps in his career.

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Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Miami Dolphins executed a massive trade Monday involving a trio of former Pro Bowlers and a swap of draft picks.

Steelers Receive:

• CB Jalen Ramsey
• TE Jonnu Smith
• 2027 seventh-round Draft pick

Dolphins Receive:

• S Minkah Fitzpatrick
• 2027 fifth-round draft pick

We’ll take a moment to break down each element of this blockbuster deal.

CB Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey is the headliner of this trade and completes an overhaul of a previously struggling cornerback room in Pittsburgh. While the Steelers still boasted a very good defense that led the league in PFF pass-rush grade in 2024, they couldn’t overcome their woes on the outside.

Steelers CB Coverage Metrics in 2024

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As teams began to figure out how to beat Pittsburgh’s defense last season, they knew they could exploit the unit’s rotating cast of cornerbacks. Joey Porter Jr., Donte Jackson, Beanie Bishop Jr., James Pierre and Cameron Sutton all played at least 200 snaps for the Steelers last season and finished the year with a 57.1 PFF coverage grade or worse.

Pittsburgh already added six-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay to the mix to at least partially alleviate that problem, but Ramsey alone can change the dynamic of the Steelers’ defense. His 76.9 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 11th among qualified cornerbacks, and since he was drafted in 2016, he has earned an elite 92.6 PFF overall grade.

Ramsey’s versatility is as important as his talent with regard to his role in Pittsburgh. Slay will likely occupy one starting spot on the outside, with Ramsey potentially taking the other side. If the Steelers feel Joey Porter Jr. is still a viable option despite his subpar 56.3 PFF coverage grade last season, then Ramsey can play in the slot, as he has for nearly 1,300 snaps in his career. Either way, Ramsey can be an effective player for the Steelers.

Jalen Ramsey’s Career PFF Grades by Alignment

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Ramsey’s ability to impact games in multiple ways brings a new dynamic to Pittsburgh’s secondary. The presence of free-agent acquisition Juan Thornhill allowed the Steelers to use Minkah Fitzpatrick as a trade chip. With Ramsey in tow, the Steelers now boast a potentially elite secondary to pair with arguably the best defensive line in the NFL.

Jonnu Smith

Smith enters his third stint with Arthur Smith as his offensive play caller. However, he logged his best season in the NFL in 2024 with Mike McDaniel calling the shots in Miami.

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Smith set a slew of career highs last season in an offense that emphasized his solid ability to win after the catch. Arthur Smith should have an easy time assimilating him into the offense, as two of Jonnu Smith’s three highest career yards after the catch per reception totals came during his time in Tennessee.

The Steelers’ offense, which ranked 17th in yards after the catch per reception last season, will gladly utilize that skill set. The tight end group, specifically, ranked 25th in the metric. Pat Freiermuth is a good player, but he is a more traditional option who doesn’t offer some of Smith’s flexibility.

Winning after the catch will also be key for the Steelers’ offense because their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, is unlikely to sling passes deep downfield at the rate Russell Wilson did last season. Wilson led the league in deep PFF passing grade in 2024, as his chemistry with George Pickens carried the offense. Meanwhile, Rodgers recorded a 7.3-yard average depth of target, tying for his lowest mark as a starter and ranking fifth lowest among passers who took at least 300 dropbacks last season.

Jonnu Smith’s familiarity with Arthur Smith and his ability to create explosive plays after the catch make him a logical fit in the Steelers’ offense. He’s unlikely to match volume with the Dolphins, much to the chagrin of fantasy managers, but he should bring a dimension to Pittsburgh’s passing game that was missing last season.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins appear to be shifting to a long-term approach toward competitiveness. They are currently devoid of proven players at cornerback and tight end now that Ramsey and Smith have departed. The fact that the only draft compensation they picked up was a late-round 2027 pick swap means they are likely trying to reset their books and prepare for their next competitive window.

Before the trade, the Dolphins ranked just 28th in effective cap space in 2025, 26th in 2026 and 22nd in 2027. Jettisoning Ramsey’s contract now absolves them of major cap hits through the 2029 season, when Ramsey will be 35 years old.

Smith was slated to make just over $4.6 million this season and was known to be seeking a raise. He will now reportedly get a one-year, $12 million extension from the Steelers, which was apparently too steep a price for Miami to pay a player who will be 30 years old in August.

Even the acquisition of Minkah Fitzpatrick portends a long-term vision of clearing salary cap space in Miami. While Fitzpatrick can help an extremely young secondary after posting a 65.2 PFF overall grade last season, the short-term nature of his contract is the primary appeal for Miami. He will likely play out this season with the Dolphins and then, barring an exemplary performance, be cut with a cap savings of more than $17 million.

The bigger questions looming for the Dolphins now involve their other star players. First and foremost, Tyreek Hill is a serious trade candidate, whether that comes before the season or before the in-season trade deadline. For the Dolphins or a trade partner, Hill could be a rental, considering he carries more than a $51 million cap hit in 2026, barring a contract extension.

Hill’s potential desire to play for a contender and the subsequent results in Miami could impact quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s future, as well. The Dolphins could easily escape from Tagovailoa’s contract after the 2026 season without a ton of financial consequence. Even if they wanted to reset a year earlier than that, they would eat a massive amount of dead money in 2026 in what would effectively be a reset year.

Tough financial decisions will also need to be made in the coming years for veteran players such as Jaelan Phillips, Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb and Austin Jackson. Ramsey’s trade may set off a chain reaction that leads to a complete rebuild in Miami. If that is the case, the Dolphins will continue to clear cap space and stockpile assets while using the next couple of years to find their next wave of foundational players.