The Miami Dolphins (Shop Dolphins Fan Gear) are a blank canvas, one that’s ready to be painted on.
At this point general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are making sure they have a clear vision for what they are attempting to create.
There’s a collection of experienced players who will be paired with NFL veterans likely getting their last legitimate chance to become NFL starters, if not contributors, and rookies looking to make a name for themselves.
Whether the 2026 team looks like a masterpiece, or a hot mess comes down to how the players and coaches jell this summer, which starts this week with on-field work during OTAs.
Here’s what we’ll be looking for as minicamp, and training camp approaches.
How does Malik Willis look operating from the pocket?
In Willis’ six NFL starts leading up to this season, the Dolphins’ new projected starting quarterback completed 66% of his passes, throwing for 141 yards per game, with three touchdown passes and three interceptions. His 83.5 passer rating as an NFL starter was paired with 272 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, which adds up to 45.3 rushing yards per game. Those are all decent statistics for a young, green quarterback, but Miami will need more than that for the $45 million the Dolphins have committed to paying Willis during the next two seasons. To deliver that Willis need to be clutch on third downs and execute when his offense is in the red zone.
Which receivers step to the forefront, earning starting roles?
Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Terrace Marshall Jr. have the most experience in this unit, but Malik Washington, Tahj Washington, Caleb Douglas, Theo Wease Jr., Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. are young receivers who present upside. How the Dolphins determine which five to seven receivers they invest time into as starters, backups and practice squad options will be determined by who can consistently create separation from defenders, making themselves popular targets for the quarterbacks. Obviously, everyone’s health will play a factor in how they are utilized and how they can be incorporated into Miami’s passing game.
Will Jonah Savaiinaea be worthy of the starting right guard spot?
Savaiinaea, a player the Dolphins traded up to select in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, was one of the NFL’s worst performing offensive guards last season. Miami’s coaches hope moving him back to the right side, the side he played at Arizona during his collegiate years, will help him clean up his game. If Savaiinaea struggles the Dolphins will likely give rookie D.J. Campbell, or Jamaree Salyer, a free agent addition, an opportunity to unseat him because he’s not this regime’s draft pick.
Is Greg Dulcich a legit NFL starting tight end?
Dulcich, who has started 13 NFL games in his previous four seasons, flashed talent and potential last year, contributing 335 yards and one touchdown off the 26 passes he caught in the second half of last season. He signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Dolphins, becoming one of two free agents who received more than $1 million, so he could establish himself as a legitimate NFL starter. To prove he is, Dulcich will need to hold his own when it comes to the in-line work. Otherwise, rookie tight end Will Kacmarek, a 2026 third-round pick, will inherit a ton of his snaps.
What tailback steps forward as De’Von Achane’s complimentary back?
Achane accounted for 1,838 yards and 12 touchdowns in the 16 games he played last season, but in an ideal world the tailback workload would be diversified. But Miami would need to find someone worthy of those snaps, and Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II are competing for those touches. Wright got off to a slow start last season because of a knee injury he suffered in training camp, but averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns. Gordon had success as Miami’s short-yardage back early, but that role watered down his 2.8 yards per carry average.
Who will set the edge of Miami’s defensive front?
There isn’t an experienced edge player on the Dolphins roster who excels at setting an edge, which is critical if a defense is going to be firm against the run. Chop Robinson and Josh Uche, the two edge players with the most experience, have been pass rushing specialists throughout their careers. If David Ojabo doesn’t pan out, the Dolphins might be forced to lean on one of the rookies - Trey Moore, Max Llewellyn, Mason Reiger or Rodney McGraw — to play on early downs.
Will the second-year defensive tackles take a step forward and become more forceful?
Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers collectively played 1,100-plus snaps on defense last season in what the franchise hoped was an investment into their bright future. However, the 2025 draftees struggled for much of the season, and it took a toll on the defense. The hope is that their struggles translates to growth in 2026, and that their gained experience and knowledge allows them to tighten up the defensive front.
Will rookie Jacob Rodriguez challenge for a starting linebacker role?
Miami drafted Rodriguez early in the second round because they believe his instincts, and knack for creating turnovers, makes him the type of talent teams build a defense around. But he’ll need to learn quickly if he’s going to unseat Tyrel Dodson for the starting inside linebacker, and green dot player role the seven-year veteran has help the past two seasons, Who gets paired with weak-side linebacker Jordyn Brooks on base and nickel downs comes down to who makes plays, and who can lead the defense the best.
Do the Dolphins have starting caliber safeties?
Miami dumped, or traded every safety in the playing rotation last year except Dante Trader Jr., a 2025 fifth-round pick who contributed 55 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in his 419 defensive snaps last season. He will likely have a leg up on the competition, which includes free agent addition Lonnie Johnson Jr., who has started 22 NFL games in his seven seasons, Omar Brown, a former Packers practice squad project, and Zayne Anderson, who spent the past three seasons with the Packers, primarily contributing on special teams, and rookies Michael Taaffe and Louis Moore.
Which two cornerback will step forward and earn the boundary roles?
The Dolphins have Chris Johnson, the team’s 2026 first-round pick, pencilled in as a starting cornerback, and the defensive back who will man the nickel spot when teams put three receivers on the field. That leaves an opening for two more cornerbacks to work on the boundary. Based on what they showed last season when called into duty we’d have to give JuJu Brents, Storm Duck and Ethan Bonner a leg up on the competition because of what they’ve shown in past seasons, particularly last year. But this is an open competition that any defensive back can win.