The Miami Dolphins went the international route for a third time with one of their 13 picks in the 2026 NFL draft when they selected France native Seydou Traore. More importantly for the Dolphins, Traore was a tight end from Mississippi State with an intriguing enough skill set to use one of their three fifth-round picks on him. The France part β Traore first played football as part of the NFL Academy in London, England β has some significance in that Traore is part of the International Player Pathway Program, and the Dolphins officially got a roster exemption for him this week. BREAKING DOWN THE IPP RULES The IPP program began in 2017 and is designed for players born outside the U.S. and Canada and who have played no more than two years of high school football in the U.S. as a means to promote the game and maybe also find hidden gems. To give those less experienced players the chance to develop, the NFL established rules whereby teams wouldn't have to use up a roster spot to keep them around.β¦