The Miami Dolphins have undergone some drastic roster changes over the years. They went from a team with tons of first-round draft picks to a team who has traded a lot of their draft capital for superstars. Now, they have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. Their offense, in particular, is stacked with Pro Bowl talent, but the defense has added stars including Jalen Ramsey and Bradley Chubb in recent years.
The influx of talent will make NFL cut day a tough one for Miami. The team will have some hard decisions to make in terms of who to add to the 53-man roster and who to let go on Aug. 27. In this article, we are going to predict just who makes the roster. A few unsuspecting players have made a case to make the 53-man roster because of excellent training camp/preseason performances, while others have struggled and are now looked at as roster bubble players in danger of losing their roster spots.
Quarterback (2):
Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White
Tua Tagovailoa, while not flawless, has emerged as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. He is certainly helped out by having so many talented weapons around him, too. Unfortunately, injuries are a major concern with the Dolphins' quarterback. That is why Miami pursued a backup quarterback with starting experience last year.
While Mike White hasn't had a great training camp, he became a popular athlete during his time starting for the New York Jets. White is currently competing against Skylar Thompson for the backup gig, but White has the advantage to make the team over Thompson because Miami wants a reliable option to potentially fill in for Tagovailoa if he were to go down.
Running back (4):
Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Chris Brooks
The Dolphins, who are more known for their passing game, took the league by storm with their rushing attack last year. Miami surprised the NFL community and led the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns for a good chunk of the season. This was largely in thanks to their impressive duo of Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane.
Mostert broke out during his age-31 season and scored 18 touchdowns on the ground. However, it is probably fair to assume Mostert will fall back to Earth in 2024, considering he is 32 now and only had 14 total rushing touchdowns in the eight seasons prior to last year. You can expect improved production from Achane, though. He was unstoppable when he was on the field, but he missed a good chunk of the year with injury.
Amazingly, Miami has even more depth at the running back position this year. Jaylen Wright was drafted in the fourth round, and Chris Brooks has been one of the standouts during training camp. We think both of those players make the roster, which means Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed are in danger of being cut. Miami did start the season with five running backs on the 53-man roster last year, but that is pretty rare, and the Dolphins will already be giving a lot of touches to their star duo.
Fullback (1):
Alec Ingold
The Dolphins are one of the few teams in the NFL that still carry a fullback, furthering the likelihood that the team keeps no more than four running backs. Luckily, they do have one of the best fullbacks in the business. Alec Ingold was a Pro Bowler last season, and he is very versatile for his position. Ingold is an exceptional blocker and can run the football when need be, but most notably, he can catch passes out of the backfield.
Receiver (6):
Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, Malik Washington, Erik Ezukanma
We ranked the Dolphins as having the best receiver corps in the NFL last year, and they have only gotten deeper in that position group since then. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle still form arguably the best duo in the league, as their speed makes life easy on Tua Tagovailoa and miserable on defensive backs.
The team also has some good slot options. River Cracraft and Braxton Berrios work out of the middle of the field and have sure hands. Malik Washington was one of the two rookie receivers that the team selected in a solid draft class. The other rookie pass catcher, Tahj Washington, will miss the entire season with an injury, but the numbers game was going to make it hard for him to make the 53-man roster, regardless.
Receivers including, Erik Ezukanama, Willie Snead, and Anthony Schwartz, are all on the roster bubble. Ezukanama's status as a 2022 fourth-rounder gives him an edge for making the final roster, but the sixth spot is truly up for grabs. The team also has free agent acquisition Odell Beckham Jr. waiting in the midst. Beckham isn't the megastar player he once was because he has dealt with a number of injuries. He is currently on the PUP list and is still considered week-to-week, so he might not be ready to go for the start of the regular season, via Brian Miller of phinphanatic.com.
Tight end (3):
Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill
The Dolphins haven't prioritized the tight end position as much in recent seasons, as evidenced by their refusal to re-sign Mike Gesicki last year. They changed that philosophy and brought in a number of new tight ends this offseason, though. Durham Smythe is still the incumbent starter, but Jonnu Smith and Jody Fortson were brought in to provide depth.
Fortson is in danger of not making the roster because of the emergence of some other tight ends, though. Julian Hill is currently lined up to be the third-stringer at the position, and Tanner Conner is making a push for the active roster because of an impressive training camp. Unfortunately, Conner was injured in the team's first preseason game, which slowed down his push for the 53-man roster.
Offensive line (9):
Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Robert Jones, Aaron Brewer, Liam Eichenberg, Patrick Paul, Kendall Lamm, Jack Driscoll, Lester Cotton
The Dolphins have invested heavily into their offensive line in recent years, yet they've still had a carousel of players start for them in the trenches. Terron Armstead is the most sure thing on their offensive line, as the left tackle has made five Pro Bowls. However, the 33-year-old is bound to miss time, as he has only suited up for 14-plus games three times in his 11-season career. That is a big reason Patrick Paul was made the team's second-round draft choice. The rookie tackle can learn behind the aging veteran, but he can also fill in if Armstead misses time.
Austin Jackson is the other tackle set to start up front. Jackson didn't live up to the billing of being a first-round pick, but he has improved in recent seasons. Robert Jones, Aaron Brewer, and Liam Eichenberg are set to start in the middle, while we think Kendall Lamm, Jack Driscoll, and Lester Cotton will join Paul as second unit blockers.
Defensive line (5):
Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Calais Campbell, Da'Shawn Hand, Jonathan Harris
The Dolphins' front seven took a big hit this offseason on the defensive line. Christian Wilkins was the best player the team lost in free agency. Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, and Calais Campbell will all be asked to step up in Wilkins' stead. We thought Teair Tart would make the team, but Miami surprisingly released him, which means that Da'Shawn Hand and Jonathan Harris will fill out the position group.
Five defensive linemen isn't a lot, and it probably is not enough, especially if the team were to suffer an injury at the position. For now, though, no other defensive lineman have earned a roster spot. You can expect someone to eventually be called up from the practice squad, and an external addition after cut day is on the table, too.
Linebacker (9):
Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson, Emmanuel Ogbah, David Long Jr., Jordyn Brooks, Quinton Bell, Muhamad Kamara, Anthony Walker Jr., Channing Tindall
The Dolphins run a 3-4 defense, so more linebackers than defensive lineman is necessary when building out the 53-man roster. Even so, nine linebackers is a lot, but Miami can get away with it because some of their edge rushers are big for their position and capable of putting their hand in the dirt if need be. The player who most fits this description is Bradley Chubb, but the edge rusher is still recovering from a torn ACL and will likely start the season on the PUP list.
Luckily, Jaelan Phillips was just activated from the PUP list, so Miami does have another pass-rushing specialist returning to the fold. Phillips will have more help with getting after the quarterback, too. Chop Robinson was the team's first-round pick, and Muhamad Kamara was one of the steals of the draft. Both players are outside linebackers, as is Emmanuel Ogbah. Quinton Bell has been Miami's biggest standout performer during training camp. With Bell emerging and Chubb's eventual return, Miami will have a tough time finding enough playing time for all of their pass rushers.
At the inside linebacker positions, Jordyn Brooks and David Long are lined up to start, and Anthony Walker will see most of the time at the position off of the bench. That means that Channing Tindall and Duke Riley are battling it out for the final spot on the roster. We think Riley misses out but can be pinned as the team's “54th player.”
Cornerback (7):
Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Kader Kohou, Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner, Siran Neal, Nik Needham
Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard formed a star-studded cornerback duo last season, but the Dolphins released Howard and replaced him with Kendall Fuller. That is still a solid duo, and the position group looks even better when you consider that Kader Kohou pounced onto the scene last season.
Cam Smith and Siran Neal are depth pieces at cornerback and should help out in special teams, and Ethan Bonner should make the team after an impressive training camp. Bonner's emergence nearly forces Nik Needham off of the roster, but luckily, the versatile corner keeps a spot on the 53 because he can play inside or outside and as a safety.
Safety (4):
Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer, Marcus Maye, Elijah Campbell
Jevon Holland is one of the best safeties in the NFL, but he will have a new partner deep in Miami's secondary. Out goes Brandon Jones, and in comes Jordan Poyer. Poyer was one of the best safeties in the league during his time with the Buffalo Bills, but he has regressed as he has gotten older. Marcus Maye is a great backup for Poyer, though, and Elijah Campbell deserves one of the final roster spots.
Specialists (3):
Jason Sanders, Jake Bailey, Blake Ferguson
Jason Sanders has been kicking for the Dolphins since 2018, and Jake Bailey is the team's punter. Blake Ferguson was the rare long snapper to be drafted, as Miami took him in the sixth round back in 2020.
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