Seydou Traore Earns Place on Miami Dolphins' Initial 53-Man Roster

British tight end Seydou Traore has been named to the Miami Dolphins' initial 53-man roster, putting him in position to be available from the start of the 2026 NFL season. BBC Sport reported the roster decision on Monday, with Traore listed as one of four tight ends retained by Miami after the team's final reduction ahead of the season.

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The Dolphins selected the 24-year-old in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft in April. That selection made Traore the first graduate of England's NFL Academy to complete the pathway from the program to the NFL, according to the BBC's report. Making the initial roster is the next confirmed step in that progression.

Traore had signed a four-year rookie contract reported by the BBC to be worth $4.8 million, or about £3.6 million. The contract did not guarantee him a place in the regular-season group, however. He still had to remain with Miami as the Dolphins reduced a preseason roster of 90 or 91 players to the league's 53-player limit.

Born in France and raised in London, Traore began playing American football with the London Warriors. He joined the NFL Academy in 2019. The academy was created to help international players pursue college scholarships while preparing for the standard required to compete in the NFL.

Traore later moved to the United States and attended Clearwater Academy in Florida. He enrolled at Arkansas State University in 2021, then transferred to Mississippi State University in 2023. After his college career, he entered the 2026 draft and was selected by Miami in the fifth round.

Former NFL defensive end Efe Obada announced Traore's draft selection in April. Obada also started his route into American football with the London Warriors, giving the announcement a direct link to Traore's early football background. The BBC also reported a separate roster development involving another British and Irish player: Northern Irish kicker Charlie Smyth was released by the New Orleans Saints after making his NFL debut last season.