The Miami Dolphins have been busy this offseason upgrading their defense. If they want to challenge the elite teams in the AFC, they know they have to shore things up on that side of the ball. In 2022, Miami ranked 24th in points allowed and 18th in yardage surrendered.

That certainly won’t cut it, but the Dolphins are hoping the players they acquired turn things around. In free agency, they upgraded at linebacker, signing David Long Jr. away from the Tennessee Titans. They bolstered their secondary by acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams.

EDGE player Malik Reed and safety DeShon Elliott also are heading to South Beach, leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. The Dolphins are much improved on paper but still have some work to do.

Miami would be smart to target some players on offense in the 2023 NFL Draft. Bringing back the same running back room from 2022 is certainly risky as they had one of the least effective running backs in the NFL. Wide receiver could also use some help beyond Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle with Cedrick Wilson Jr. on the trade block.

A sneaky need could exist at linebacker despite the addition of Long. Adding another player inside would be smart. Depth later in the draft would make sense, but what if the Dolphins opted to make a splash acquisition?

Linebacker Devin White recently requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heading into the final season on his rookie deal, White is seeking a trade to help facilitate landing a new contract. He is expected to break the bank on a new deal and approach, if not surpass, the record-setting deal Roquan Smith signed with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason.

There would certainly be some challenges to taking on White for the Dolphins. They have a lot of money tied up in a few players already, so fitting his current contract and a new deal on their salary cap would take some maneuvering.

But, for a player of White’s caliber, it could be worthwhile. What could a trade between the Dolphins and Buccaneers look like? The Dolphins could offer a 2023 second-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick and Jerome Baker to the Buccaneers in exchange for White.

This trade mirrors what the Ravens traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Smith. The Buccaneers should be happy to receive a package even this strong as Smith has been the more consistent player throughout their careers and the position they play isn’t a marquee one. A much-needed rebuild would be underway in Tampa Bay.

For the Dolphins, they would be going all-in on this current core to get them over the hump for a Super Bowl. White is only 25 and could be the backbone of their defense for years to come, providing them with a star-caliber player at every level.