2026 NFL Season Previews

Indianapolis Colts 2026 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2026 NFL Season Previews, Colts

Quarterback

The Colts started last season a surprising 7-1 and decided to go all in, trading two first round picks to the Jets for Sauce Gardner, one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Things did not go as planned, however. The Colts’ schedule, which was one of the easiest in the league in the first half of the season, turned into one of the hardest in the league in the second half of the season and, making matters worse, Gardner would play just 4 games for the Colts due to injuries, while their starting quarterback Daniel Jones tore his achilles and missed the final 4 games of the season. All in all, the Colts went just 1-8 after acquiring Gardner, missing the playoffs entirely and surrendering the 16th overall pick to the Jets.

However, the situation is a lot better than it would seem. Despite an underwhelming 8-9 record overall, the Colts actually finished the season 11th in point differential (+54), 13th in first down rate differential (+1.12%), 8th in yards per play differential (+0.43), and 6th in schedule adjusted efficiency (+3.74), with their underwhelming record largely being the result of a 3-7 record in one-score games. Not having a first round pick in this year’s draft hurts them, but the Colts only had Sauce Gardner for four games last season and getting him back for a full season is more valuable than a first round pick. 

Additionally, another talented cornerback Charvarius Ward was limited to 7 games by injury last season, while top interior defender DeForest Buckner was limited to 10 games. Gardner, Ward, and Buckner are arguably their three best defensive players and they didn’t play a single game together last season. With better health from their key players, the Colts’ defense should be improved from their 22nd ranked finish in schedule adjusted efficiency, perhaps significantly improved.

Having a quarterback coming off of a significant injury is a concern, but even with Jones missing time last season, they still finished 6th in schedule adjusted efficiency on offense. Even when Jones was healthy last season, their offensive success was arguably more about their dominant offensive supporting cast than it was about the play of their quarterback and, when Jones was out, their offensive supporting cast prevented a complete collapse, despite their quarterbacks being Philip Rivers, who hadn’t played in five seasons, and Riley Leonard, a 6th round rookie. 

Jones himself was a reclamation project, signed to a one-year prove it deal last off-season after being cut by the Giants. The 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones was mostly a disappointment in New York, starting 69 games, completing 64.1% of his passes for an average of 6.51 YPA, 70 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions, and rushing for 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns on 399 carries (5.46 YPC), but he consistently had a poor supporting cast. Jones is not as good as he looked last year with the Colts, when he completed 68.0% of his passes for an average of 8.08 YPA, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, while rushing for 3.64 YPC and 5 touchdowns on 45 carries, but he was never as bad as he looked like the Giants.

The big concern with Jones is durability, not just his recovery from his most recent injury, but an extensive history of injuries that has limited him to 83 games in seven seasons in the league. Even if Jones is ready for the start of the season, there is no guarantee he is 100% and that he doesn’t miss more time. If he does miss more time, the Colts would likely turn back to Riley Leonard, who only had a 67.7 passer rating as a rookie. It seems unlikely he will ever develop into a starting caliber quarterback, but he could wind up being a decent backup. Needless to say, the Colts would be a lot better off if Jones was healthy enough to start the whole season.

Grade: B-

Receiving Corps

There have been a couple changes on the Colts’ offense since last season, one more impactful than the other. The more impactful of the two changes is their trade of Michael Pittman to the Steelers in a salary dump. Pittman had a decent 2025 season, finishing with a 80/784/7 slash line on 111 targets with a 1.46 yards per route run average, but the Colts still have a great receiving corps without him. Alec Pierce has led the team in receiving in back-to-back years, with slash lines of 37/824/7 and 47/1003/6 on yards per route run averages of 1.82 and 2.10 respectively, and he has done that despite target totals of 69 and 84 respectively.

An elite deep threat, Pierce is capable of drawing double teams deep and still making plays, averaging over 20 yards per catch in each of the past two seasons and managing a 54.9% catch rate, despite inconsistent quarterback play and his high average depth of target (1st in the NFL at 22.8 in 2024 and 2nd in the NFL at 20.0 in 2025). The question is whether or not Pierce can take his game to another level and become a more complete receiver across what figures to be a significantly higher target share in Pittman’s absence. Pierce is only going into his age 26 season, so he could keep getting better and, even if he doesn’t, he is still a very useful option in the receiving game.

Slot receiver Josh Downs and tight end Tyler Warren also figure to see an uptick in targets, after 88 and 112 respectively last season, and both are possession receivers whose skillsets are more similar to what they lost when Pittman was traded. Downs only had a 58/566/4 slash line and 1.49 yards per route run in 2025, but that was largely because he only had 88 targets. In 2023, when he had 98 targets, he had a 68/771/2 slash line and 1.60 yards per route run and, in 2024, when he had 107 targets, he had a 72/803/5 slash line and 2.20 yards per route run. 

Downs should see a target share in 2026 that is more in line with his target share in 2023 and 2024 and he should see his production bounce back as a result. He is also still only going into his age 25 season and has the upside to have his best season yet in 2026. Warren, meanwhile, had a 76/817/4 slash line with 1.63 yards per route run last year, despite being a rookie, and the 2025 14th overall pick could easily take a big step forward in year two in 2026.

With Pittman gone, the #3 wide receiver job will either go to free agent addition Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or incumbent #4 wide receiver Ashton Dulin. Neither are good options, as Westbrook-Ikhine has a career average of 1.03 yards per route run, while Dulin has primarily been a special teamer in his career, catching just 40 passes in 7 seasons in the league. At tight end, Mo Alie-Cox figures to be the #2 tight end again. He was a capable receiver in his prime, but is going into his age 33 season and has averaged just 0.88 yards per route run over the past 4 seasons, so he is mostly on the field for blocking at this stage of his career. The Colts still have an impressive top-3 in the receiving corps, but the loss of Michael Pittman does create a depth problem.

Grade: B+

Offensive Line

The less impactful loss on this Colts offense is right tackle Braden Smith, who left as a free agent. Smith had been the Colts right tackle for years and had some good years in the past, but he was only an average starter in 13 starts in an injury plagued 2025 season and his injury replacement, 4th round rookie Jalen Travis, outplayed him in 4 starts. Travis is a projection to a larger role and might not be as good over a full season, but he also has the upside to be an improvement over Smith. Smith was probably the weak link on an overall elite offensive line, so if Travis could be an upgrade, that would just further boost this position group. 

At left tackle, left guard, and center, the Colts started players who were among the best in the league at their positions last season in Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, and Tanor Bortolini. Raimann and Nelson have played at that level for several seasons, though Nelson’s age is starting to become a minor concern, in his age 30 season. Bortolini, meanwhile, is a one-year wonder, as the 2024 4th round pick was only average as a rookie. Nelson’s age and Bortolini’s’ lack of elite experience are minor concerns, but, overall, this is still one of the best trios of offensive line starters in the league.

The other starter on this offensive line is Matt Goncalves, a 3rd round pick in 2024 who was about average in 16 starts at right guard last season, after being about average in 8 starts at tackle as a rookie. The Colts seem to prefer him at guard, but he has the versatility to move to tackle if needed in case of injury. That could be needed because the Colts’ top-2 reserves are probably their backup guards, Dalton Tucker and Matt Farmer. Both are underwhelming options though and I only call them their best reserves by default, as Tucker has struggled in 9 career starts and Farmer is a 4th round rookie. Even with minor depth concerns though, this is one of the best offensive lines in the league as their expected starting five is as good as any in the league.

Grade: A

Running Backs

Featured running back Jonathan Taylor was also a big part of the reason for the Colts’ offensive success last season. He definitely benefited from good blocking and a strong offense around him, but he finished the season 3rd among running backs in rushing yards (1,585), 1st in carries (323), and 1st in rushing touchdowns (18), while averaging 4.91 yards per carry, 3.52 yards per carry after contact, a 20.7% missed tackle rate, and a 51.7% carry success rate. Those numbers are largely in line with the 6-year veteran’s career averages, as he has averaged 1,538 yards and 14 touchdowns on 314 carries per 17 games in his career, with a 4.90 YPC, 3.24 yards per carry after contact, a 18.0% missed tackle rate, and a 50.7% carry success rate.

The biggest issue for Taylor in his career has been injuries, as he has missed time in four of six seasons in the league, including 16 games missed from 2022-2024, before he finally stayed healthy again for a full season in 2025. Taylor also isn’t a high level pass catcher, averaging a 38/297/1 slash line per 17 games and 0.91 yards per route run in his career. However, purely as a runner, he is as good as any running back in the league when healthy.

Taylor’s history of injuries made more concerning by the Colts’ lack of depth at running back. DJ Giddens, a 5th round pick in 2025, finished second among Colts running backs in carries with just 26 last season. It’s possible he has upside we haven’t seen yet because he hasn’t gotten a chance to show it, but he is a shaky backup option. Ameer Abdullah only had 14 carries last season, but he did provide value as a passing down back, averaging 1.71 yards per route run, and he wasn’t retained this off-season, leaving the Colts without a good passing down specialist. The Colts added Seth McGowan in the 7th round of this year’s draft, but he wasn’t a good pass catcher in college and isn’t necessarily an upgrade over Giddens as the backup. Taylor elevates this position group significantly, but lack of depth is a concern, especially when coupled with Taylor’s injury history.

Grade: A-

Interior Defenders

As I mentioned, the Colts struggled on defense last season, in large part due to significant injuries suffered by key players. One of those players was interior defender DeForest Buckner, who was limited to 469 snaps in 10 games by a neck injury that eventually required surgery. Buckner has mostly been very durable in his career, missing just two games in his first nine seasons in the league combined, while averaging 52.3 snaps per game throughout his career, but he has now missed 12 games over the past two seasons combined, he is coming off of a significant surgery, and he is going into his age 32 season, so durability is a question for him going forward.

Buckner’s run defense also declined even before the injury last season, which is also concerning, given his age, but he remained a well above average pass rusher, with 4 sacks, 11 hits, and a 11.4% pressure rate that actually exceeds his career average of 10.2%. In total, Buckner has 71.5 sacks and 127 hits in 151 career games while playing at an above average level as a run defender in every season of his career except last season. All of this is to say that, while Buckner’s age and recent injury history are concerns, even at less than his best, Buckner should be an above average interior defender and, in the likely case that he will play more than he did last season, that will be a boost for this defense.

Buckner’s return will especially be a welcome addition for this defense because the rest of their defensive tackle room is pretty underwhelming. Grover Stewart used to be an effective running mate for Buckner, but he declined both as a pass rusher and a run defender in 2025 and, now going into his age 33 season, it seems likely that his best days are behind him. It’s possible he will be a little better in 2026 than he was in 2025, but it seems unlikely he will ever regain his old form.

Adetomiwa Adebawore saw the biggest increase in playing time in Buckner’s absence last season, totaling 548 snaps on the season, after the 2023 4th round pick only played 269 total snaps in his first two seasons in the league combined. Adebawore was an effective interior pass rusher, with 4 sacks, 1 hit, and a 9.5% pressure rate, but struggled mightily in run defense. With Buckner back, he can play more as a situational pass rusher than an every down option in 2026, which will benefit this defense.

The Colts also took flyers on a trio of interior defenders this off-season, receiving Colby Wooden in a trade from the Packers and signing Jerry Tilley and Derrick Nnadi as free agents. None of them are likely to be effective options. Wooden, a 2023 4th round pick, has struggled as both a pass rusher (5.1% pressure rate) and run defender across 1,077 career snaps. Tillery was a first round pick in 2019 and has had his moments as a pass rusher, but, overall his career 7.1% pressure rate is not enough to make up for his struggles as a run defender and he is now going into his age 30 season. 

Nnadi, meanwhile, was a capable run defender in his prime, but his run defense has declined in recent years and now he is going into his age 30 season. None of the Colts’ three off-season additions are guaranteed a roster spot, though it is likely at least one will have to play at least some snaps in a thin position group. Outside of DeForest Buckner, who has age and injury concerns, this is a very underwhelming position group.

Grade: B-

Edge Defenders

While most of the Colts’ top defensive players missed significant time with injury last season, one of them, edge defender Laiatu Latu played all but one game and had a breakout season, as the 2024 1st round pick improved on a solid rookie season both as a pass rusher and a run defender, playing at an above average level in both aspects. In total, he had 8.5 sacks, 11 hits, and a 14.0% pressure rate as a pass rusher. Latu is technically a one-year wonder in terms of playing at that level, but he has always had the talent to be a high level edge defender and his career trajectory suggests he will continue playing at a high level going forward.

The rest of this edge defender group has been completely remade since last season. Kwity Paye (721 snaps), Samson Ebukam (416 snaps), and Tyquan Lewis (323 snaps) all played significant snaps at edge defender last season and are no longer with the team. None of them played at higher than an average level, so this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is unclear if their replacements will be significantly better.

Arden Key was signed to a 2-year, 16 million dollar deal in free agency and he figures to be the nominal starter next to Latu. Key has been a solid rotational edge defender over the past four seasons, averaging 38.5 snaps per game and totaling 21 sacks, 33 hits, and a 10.4% pressure rate in 62 games. The concern is he is going into his age 30 season, but he hasn’t shown any signs of decline and he could easily remain at least a decent rotational player. His primary competition for a starting role will be JT Tuimoloau, a 2025 2nd round pick who ranked 5th on the team among edge defenders with 215 snaps played as a rookie, but who has the talent to be at least a decent rotational player. He and Key may largely split snaps.

The Colts also added veteran Micheal Clemons in free agency and rookies George Gumbs and Caden Curry in the 5th and 6th rounds of the draft and they will compete for deep reserve roles. None are likely to have success in that role, however. Both Gumbs and Curry fell to the late rounds of the draft for good reason, while Clemons is a decent run defender, but has a career 6.9% pressure rate in four seasons in the league and is already heading into his age 29 season. Laiatu Latu elevates the overall grade of this position group significantly, but the rest of the bunch is likely to be underwhelming at best and deep reserve depth is a bit of a concern.

Grade: B

Linebackers

Linebacker was a huge position of need for the Colts this off-season. Germaine Pratt, their only capable linebacker last season, was not retained. The Colts also opted to trade away their other starting linebacker Zaire Franklin for salary reasons, although he struggled mightily last season, meaning his loss is likely to be addition by subtraction. However, the Colts’ linebacking corps still remains a weakness. The one veteran addition they made this off-season was Akeem Davis-Gaither, who has mostly been a liability in 6 seasons in the league, on an average of 361 snaps per season with a maximum of 781 snaps per season, which came last season when he was one of the worst starting linebackers in the league with the Cardinals.

Davis-Gaither figures to start in an every down capacity next to second round pick CJ Allen, who was a good value, but could struggle through growing pains in a significant year one role.

For depth, the Colts have 2023 undrafted free agent Austin Ajiake, who has played 157 snaps in his career, 2024 5th round pick Jaylon Carlies, who has played 244 snaps in his career, and 4th round rookie Bryce Boettcher, who would likely struggle in a significant year one role. This group could be a little better than it was last year by default, but it is still likely to be a liability.

Grade: C

Secondary

Cornerback is the position where the Colts figure to benefit the most from better health. Last season, they had 10 different cornerbacks see action for them and almost all of them struggled. This season, with Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward returning, they could have one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Gardner, the 4th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league since entering the league, playing at an above average level in all four seasons in the league and playing at an All-Pro level when he is at his best. 

Gardner will remain in his prime for several more seasons, only in his age 26 season, and, perhaps most importantly, he doesn’t really have a history of injury outside of the 6 games he missed last season, missing a total of 3 games in his first 3 seasons in the league combined. Because Gardner was acquired mid-season, he actually only played 4 games for the Colts last season and I would expect much more out of him in 2026, which will be a huge boost for this secondary and defense overall. He has All-Pro potential in his first full season in Indianapolis.

Ward comes with more concern, as he is now heading into his age 30 season and the concussion injuries that limited him to 7 games last season were serious enough for him to consider retirement this off-season. Between his age and injury history, it is possible Ward declines or misses more time this season. However, he hasn’t shown any signs of decline yet, playing at an above average level in 2025 for the third time in four seasons, with the exception being a 2024 season in which he was dealing with a serious situation in his personal league. Ward comes with some risk, but he could easily remain an above average cornerback in 2026 and, as far as #2 cornerbacks go, Ward is one of the best in the league.

Mekhi Blackmon actually led all Colts cornerbacks in snaps played last season with 784 and struggled in that role, but he is likely to be no higher than 4th on the depth chart this season. Cam Taylor-Britt was signed from the Bengals this off-season and is expected to be the #3 cornerback, a role he should be decent, but unspectacular in. Blackmon isn’t a bad #4 cornerback and actually showed promise across 434 snaps as a 3rd round rookie in 2023, before missing all of 2024 with a torn ACL and struggling in 2025. His primary competition for the #4 cornerback job is Justin Walley, a 2025 3rd round pick who has potential, but missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL of his own. Veteran Kenny Moore is also still on the roster, though he is expected to be moved before the start of the season.

Safety Camryn Bynum was the Colts’ best healthy defensive back last season, paying off the 4-year, 60 million dollar deal the Colts signed him to last off-season by playing almost every snap for the Colts last season and providing above average safety play. Bynum has made every start over the past four seasons and has consistently been an average or above average starter. Still only in his age 28 season, I would expect more of the same from Bynum in 2026.

The other starting safety spot is a big concern though. Nick Cross was a liability in that role last season and, while the Colts moved on from him this off-season, they don’t have an obvious upgrade over him. As of right now, third round rookie AJ Haulcy is probably the most likely starting option and, while he was a great value where he was drafted, he could easily struggle as a rookie starter. His primary competitors for the role are 2025 7th round pick Hunter Wohler, who missed his whole rookie season with a foot injury, and veteran Jonathan Owens, who has started just 35 of 82 games played in his career, has mostly been a liability when he’s played, and is now going into his age 31 season. This is a concern in an otherwise very impressive secondary.

Grade: B+

Kickers

The Colts seemed to find a good kicker in Spencer Shrader, who spent his first season in the league in 2024 with three teams, but added 2.11 points above average in 4 games with those three teams and then he added 1.70 points above average in the first 5 games of the season with the Colts in 2025. However, he then missed the rest of the season with injury and, while he has shown a lot of promise, he has still only played 9 games in his career, so his success has come in a small sample size. 

Shrader could face competition for his job from Blake Grupe, who made all 11 of his field goals and all 10 of his extra points in 5 games with the Colts last season, after the mediocre Michael Badgley originally took over for the injured Shrader, but Grupe previously had made just 69.2% of his field goals with the Saints last season, leading to his release. and, even with an impressive stretch to end last season, he has still cost his teams 8.28 points compared to an average kicker in three seasons in the league. Shrader seems like the best option, but his success has come in a limited sample size and is not guaranteed to continue.

Grade: B+

Conclusion

The way the Colts’ 2025 season ended was disappointing and they didn’t have a first round pick to help their roster, but they overall were much better than their final record suggested last season and they will get several key players back from injury this season, particularly on defense, where they needed help the most last season. The Colts should be in the mix for a wild card spot or a division title in an AFC South that is still wide open.

Prediction: 10-7, 1st in AFC South

Miami Dolphins 2026 NFL Season Preview

stevenlourie 2026 NFL Season Previews, Dolphins

Quarterback

Seven years ago, the Dolphins adopted an aggressive rebuilding strategy, sick of middling seasons and having not won a playoff game since 2000. They traded away numerous veterans to try to tank for a high draft pick and a potential young franchise quarterback, and to accumulate future draft picks and cap space to surround that young franchise quarterback with as much talent as possible while he was still on his cheap rookie deal. Unfortunately, while the strategy led to post-season appearances in 2022 and 2023, the Dolphins did not win a playoff game in either season, extending their post-season win drought even further.

The strategy was not a bad idea, but they missed on numerous draft picks and, most importantly, they gave a massive extension to a quarterback who wasn’t worth it. After back-to-back seasons missing the post-season in 2024 and 2025, the Dolphins have decided to go back to square one and rebuild even more aggressively this time around. In total, the Dolphins have an NFL record 179 million in dead cap for 2026 and already 57 million in dead cap for 2027. 

This season, the Dolphins’ active cap spending accounts for only about 42.1% of the total salary cap, leading to a roster that almost entirely consists of players on rookie contracts and veterans on minimum or near minimum contracts. On paper, this looks like one of the worst teams in the NFL in recent memory and the situation is made even worse by the loss of talented offensive playcaller Mike McDaniel as head coach, with defensive minded Jeff Hafley coming with an underwhelming offensive playcaller in Bobby Slowik.

The biggest mistake the Dolphins made in their previous rebuild was the selection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the subsequent 4-year, 212.4 million dollar extension they gave him to stick around long-term. Tagovailoa had some productive seasons, but his success was largely the result of having an elite offense around him and a great offensive playcaller in Mike McDaniel. 

Last season, with his supporting cast not being what it once was, Tagovailoa completed 67.7% of his passes for an average of 6.93 YPA, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Having seen enough, the Dolphins opted to move on from Tagovailoa this off-season despite his 54 million dollar salary being fully guaranteed because bringing him back would have risked Tagovailoa suffering an injury, which could have guaranteed his 2027 salary as well. 

The one player the Dolphins did spend money on this off-season was their new starting quarterback Malik Willis, who they gave a 3-year, 67.5 million dollar deal with 45 million guaranteed. A third round pick in 2022, Willis entered the league raw and struggled early in his career as a spot starter in Tennessee, leading to him being traded to the Packers for next to nothing two off-seasons ago, but Willis seemingly came into his own in Green Bay, only making three starts as a backup over the past two seasons, but making the most of his opportunities, completing 78.7% of his passes for 10.92 YPA, 6 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, while rushing for 6.21 YPC and 3 touchdowns on 42 carries.

Obviously that is a very limited sample size in a good situation, but if Willis can be even a fraction of that good over a full season, he will at least be a top-32 quarterback in the NFL. In a vacuum, Willis deserves to be a starter and his contract is reasonable, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Dolphins given the current state of the team. Regardless of what Willis does, the Dolphins figure to have a high draft pick in what should be a good quarterback class in 2027 and, with a terrible supporting cast, it will be very difficult to accurately evaluate whether or not Willis is a good enough long-term starter for it to be worth passing on a highly touted quarterback prospect. 

With Willis’ salary guaranteed for 2027, the result could easily be a situation where the Dolphins use a high pick on a quarterback and again are paying a significant guaranteed salary for a quarterback who isn’t starting. The Dolphins probably would have been better off committing even further to the rebuild and starting either a cheap veteran, a rookie, or 2025 7th round pick Quinn Ewers, a developmental backup who showed a little bit of promise down the stretch last season (85.5 QB rating across 83 pass attempts), rather than committing 45 million guaranteed to a quarterback who is unlikely to be a starter for more than one season, a season where the Dolphins are highly unlikely to be competitive either way. 

Grade: C+

Receiving Corps

The Dolphins’ receiving corps was the biggest victim of their teardown. A couple years ago, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league. However, Waddle was traded for a first round pick and a couple mid round picks this off-season, while age, injury, and off-the-field problems led to the Dolphins releasing Hill outright this off-season. In their absence, the Dolphins have easily the worst receiving corps in the league. 

The Dolphins used a trio of draft picks on the position, but none of them were premium picks, with Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell selected in the 3rd round and Kevin Coleman selected in the 5th round. Bell could have been a 1st or 2nd round pick if he didn’t tear his ACL late last season and he is expected to be ready for the start of next season, but he could easily not be 100% in his first season after the injury, especially if he misses most or all of the off-season program and is behind in learning the offense as a result. 

For veteran options, the Dolphins brought in Jalen Tolbert, who has a career 0.97 yards per route run average, Tutu Atwell, who caught 6 passes last season, and Terrace Marshall, who has a career 0.83 yards per route run average and was out of the league last season. The newcomers will compete for roles with the Dolphins’ top holdovers, 2024 6th round pick Malik Washington, who has a career 0.86 yards per route run average, 2024 7th round pick Tahj Washington, who has a career 0.97 yards per route run average, and Theo Wease, a 2025 undrafted free agent with 6 catches as a rookie. None of the Dolphins’ wide receiver options are likely to be much help for new quarterback Malik Willis.

Things aren’t much better at tight end. Greg Dulcich was a 3rd round pick in 2022 and has shown promise with a career 1.35 yards per route run average, but that has come in limited playing time, as he only has 67 catches in four seasons in the league. He is expected to start due to a lack of better options. Ben Sims, a blocking specialist with 11 career catches, was added in free agency, while Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore were added in the 3rd and 5th round of the draft respectively. They will all compete for roles behind Dulcich. This is one of the worst receiving corps in recent memory.

Grade: C-

Running Backs

One player who survived the Dolphins’ off-season teardown is running back De’Von Achane. That was a bit of a surprise and could prove to not be the right move. Achane only has one year left on his cheap rookie deal and history shows that bad teams that spend big money on running backs tend to regret it. This was also a bad running back draft class and Achane is coming off of an elite season that he probably won’t replicate with a worse supporting cast and without talented offensive playcaller Mike McDaniel, so this is probably the highest Achane’s trade value will ever be.

Achane finished the 2025 season with 5.67 YPC and 8 touchdowns on 238 carries, with a 49.2% carry success rate, 4.11 yards per carry after contact, a 20.6% missed tackle rate, and 1.29 yards per route run, in line with his career averages of 5.64 YPC and 22 touchdowns on 543 carries, with a 50.2% carry success rate, 3.85 yards per carry after contact, a 20.1% missed tackle rate, and 1.33 yards per route run. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see his production drop off significantly in 2026, given the situation around him, but he is still by far the Dolphins’ best offensive playmaker, both on the ground and through the air.

Achane figures to get the vast majority of the touches in the backfield, with Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon competing for the #2 job. Wright, a 4th round pick in 2024, has averaged 3.89 YPC, a 45.7% carry success rate, 3.35 yards per carry after contact, and a 21.7% missed tackle rate on 138 career carries, while averaging 0.44 yards per route run through the air. Gordon, a 6th round pick in 2025, has averaged 2.84 YPC, a 45.7% carry success rate, 2.10 yards per carry after contact, and a 14.3% missed tackle rate on 70 career carries, while averaging 0.34 yards per route run through the air. Wright seems like the favorite for the backup job, but it is likely both would see a significant role if Achane misses time, something he has done in two of three seasons in the league. Achane has as much talent as any running back in the league, but could see his production decrease significantly due to the situation around him.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

With needs all over the field, the Dolphins could have gone anywhere with their high draft picks, which included a pair of first round picks following the Jaylen Waddle trade. They opted to use their first pick on the offensive line, taking Kadyn Proctor. Using high draft capital on the offensive line at the start of a rebuild is inherently a good idea, but Proctor is a boom or bust prospect, with elite physical traits, but inconsistent tape and a questionable work ethic. He could prove to be the right pick, but the 12th overall pick was probably a little early to take that kind of risk. Proctor played tackle in college, but the Dolphins are working him out at both tackle and guard. Obviously, he would provide more value long-term if he can develop at tackle, but it remains to be seen if that is where the Dolphins believe he will be at his best long-term. 

Where Proctor plays as a rookie will dictate where Austin Jackson, who has played both guard (13 starts) and tackle (47 starts) in his career, will play in 2026. Jackson is also a former first round pick, back in 2020, but he hasn’t lived up to the billing, providing average at best play and consistently missing time with injury, limited to just 60 starts in 6 seasons in the league. Patrick Paul is probably locked in at left tackle again, with Proctor likely to play right tackle if he doesn’t play guard. A 2nd round pick in 2024, Paul wasn’t great in his first full season as the starting left tackle in 2025 (17 starts), but he wasn’t bad either and he has the upside to take a step forward in his third season in the league in 2026. 

The Dolphins’ best offensive lineman by far is center Aaron Brewer, who played at an All-Pro level last season. It was the best year of Brewer’s career, but not by a lot, so even if he isn’t quite as good in 2026 as he was in 2025, he should remain one of the better centers in the league. Brewer is going into his contract year in 2026 and, while his age isn’t ideal given the long rebuild the Dolphins have in front of them (age 29 in 2026), they should still look to lock him up long-term and keep him around throughout their rebuild to provide a foundation in the trenches.

The fifth and final starting job on this offensive line at guard is probably up for grabs. Jonah Savaiinaea is probably the favorite for the job, but the 2025 2nd round pick was one of the worst guards in the league as a rookie and, even if he improves in 2026, he has a long way to improve to even be an average starter. The biggest reason why he is likely to start is just that the Dolphins don’t have another good option. 

The Dolphins signed veteran Jamaree Salyer in free agency and he has experience at both guard and tackle, with 40 total starts in four seasons in the league, 21 at guard and 19 at tackle, but he has mostly struggled and is best as a versatile reserve. The Dolphins also used a 6th round pick on a guard prospect in DJ Campbell and he could see some starts down the stretch if Savaiinaea struggles, but he is probably not a real contender for the week 1 job and he would likely struggle if he makes starts at any point this season. Compared to a lot of this roster, this offensive line isn’t that bad, but it still looks like a below average group overall.

Grade: B-

Edge Defenders

The Dolphins’ edge defender room is almost as bad as their receiving corps. Chop Robinson is a former 2024 1st round pick and has upside, but the rest of the group is very underwhelming. Even Robinson is far from a sure thing. He had an impressive rookie season, particularly as a pass rusher, with 6 sacks, 8 hits, and a 16.3% pressure rate, but he dropped off significantly in year two, struggling as both a run defender and a pass rusher, totaling just 4 sacks, 1 hit, and a 7.9% pressure rate. I am not sure why he dropped off so much in year two and it is tough to know what to expect from him in 2026. He has obvious upside, still only in his age 23 season, but he also comes with significant downside.

The rest of the group consists of veteran flyers on cheap contracts and rookies selected with non-premium draft picks. Joshua Uche has upside as a situational pass rusher, with a 15.4% career pressure rate, but his history of injuries and his struggles against the run have led to him playing just 269 snaps per season in six seasons in the league, with a maximum of 373 snaps back in 2022. He could play a career high in snaps in 2026 if he stays relatively healthy, but he is a one dimensional player who could easily be exposed in a larger role.

Other veteran options include free agent additions David Ojabo and Robert Beal and holdover Cameron Goode. Ojabo was a 2nd round pick in 2022, but injuries and ineffective play have limited him to 576 snaps total in 4 seasons in the league. Meanwhile, Beal has played just 292 mediocre snaps in three seasons in the league since being selected in the 5th round in 2023, while Goode has played just 196 mediocre snaps in four seasons in the league since being selected in the 7th round in 2022. The Dolphins also added Trey Moore and Max Llewellyn in the 4th and 7th rounds of the draft respectively, but it is unlikely either will be ready to contribute in a significant positive way in year one. This is a very thin position group full of guys who would not be guaranteed to make most teams’ rosters.

Grade: C

Interior Defenders

Along with Chop Robinson, the Dolphins have another recent first round pick on the defensive line, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who was selected in 2025. Grant had an underwhelming rookie year across 554 snaps, posting decent pass rush numbers, 2 sacks, 4 hits, and a 8.7% pressure rate, but struggling against the run. He has the upside to be a lot better in year two, but his career is not off to a great start, which is a concern for a team that is trying to build around young players.

Grant will continue starting next to veteran Zach Sieler. Sieler was an above average player as a pass rusher and a run defender in his prime, but he was just an average starter in 2025 and, now going into his age 31 season, it seems likely that his best days are behind him. After totaling 23.5 sacks, 25 hits, and a 8.7% pressure rate in 49 games from 2022-2024, Sieler had just 5.5 sacks, 4 hits, and a 6.8% pressure rate in 17 games in 2025 and his run defense declined as well. He could remain a capable starter for at least another season, but it seems unlikely he will bounce back to his prime form and he could decline further.

The Dolphins also used 5th and 7th round picks on interior defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft and those two players, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, figure to be their top reserves at the position this season. Both are underwhelming options who didn’t show much promise across snap counts of 465 and 214 respectively as rookies. Even as reserves, they could easily prove to be liabilities. This position group isn’t as bad as some of the Dolphins’ others, but it is an underwhelming group at best.

Grade: C+

Linebackers

The Dolphins’ linebacking corps is the relative strength of this defense. Top linebacker Jordyn Brooks has his issues in coverage, but he is an above average run defender and has been for several seasons. Still in his prime in his age 29 season, I would expect a similar season from him in 2026. Tyrel Dodson struggled as the other starter last season, but the Dolphins used a second round pick on Jacob Rodriguez, who is probably going to start instead of Dodson this season. Rodriguez could have some growing pains as a rookie, but will likely be an upgrade even as a rookie.

Dobson is still on the roster and could retain his starting job, but if that happens that will likely say more about Rodriguez being behind in his development than anything positive about Dobson, who has mostly been a liability as a starter in his career. The Dolphins also used a 4th round pick on Kyle Louis, who is a good developmental option and will provide depth in the short-term. Willie Gay and Ronnie Harrison are also on the roster as potential reserve options. Both have experience as starters, but are best as reserves and are not locks to make the final roster. This isn’t a great group or anything, but it is much more complete than most position groups on the Dolphins’ roster.

Grade: B

Secondary

The Dolphins used their other first round pick, the one they acquired in the Jaylen Waddle trade, on cornerback Chris Johnson. Johnson will probably be the Dolphins’ best cornerback as a rookie and, while he definitely has the upside to be an above average starter long-term, Johnson being the Dolphins’ #1 cornerback as a rookie says more about the rest of their cornerback room than it does about Johnson’s NFL readiness, as he could struggle through some growing pains as a rookie.

JuJu Brents is probably penciled in as the #2 cornerback and at least he has some upside too, but he also comes with downside as well. Originally a second round pick by the Colts in 2023, Brents came into the league with a lot of upside and was decent as a rookie across 497 snaps, but a knee injury ended his second season in the league after just 68 snaps and then he was released by the Colts ahead of final cuts last off-season. 

The Dolphins claimed him off waivers following his release and he showed a lot of potential when he finally got his shot, but a foot injury again ended his season after a very limited sample size, as he played just 110 snaps total. Brents is still only going into his age 26 season and has obvious talent, but it is tough to project a player whose success has come in a limited sample size and who has now had major leg injuries in back-to-back seasons. He is worth a shot as a starter, but he probably wouldn’t be a starter for most teams.

Jason Marshall, a 2025 5th round pick, is the Dolphins’ top returning cornerback in terms of snaps played last season, but he played just 243 snaps and struggled in that limited action. He will face competition for the #3 cornerback role from Storm Duck, a 2024 undrafted free agent who has struggled across 403 career snaps, and free agent addition Darrell Baker, who has averaged 606 snaps per season over the past three seasons, but has mostly struggled. 

Things are even worse at safety. The Dolphins top-3 safeties in terms of snaps played last season, Minkah Fitzpatrick (845 snaps), Ashtyn Davis (713 snaps), and Ifeatu Melifonwu (549 snaps), are no longer with the team, leaving Dante Trader, a 2025 5th round pick who was mediocre in 420 snaps as a rookie, as one starter, with the other starting spot going to either 5th round rookie Michael Taaffe or veteran free agent addition Lonnie Johnson, who has played just 622 snaps over the past four seasons combined and now is going into his age 31 season and coming off of a terrible season across 321 snaps. This secondary figures to be one of the worst in the league.

Grade: C-

Kicker

The Dolphins were expecting their starting kicker in 2025 to be veteran Jason Sanders, who had been in the role since his rookie season in 2018, but Sanders missed the whole season with injury, leaving to job to journeyman Riley Patterson, who had kicked for five different teams in the previous four seasons, while accounting for 2.26 points below average. However, Patterson did well in his first season in Miami, accounting for 5.56 points above average. With Sanders no longer with the team, the Dolphins brought in another veteran journeyman, Zane Gonzalez, to compete with Patterson for the job, but Gonzalez has accounted for 4.34 points below average in his career, so Patterson should be considered the favorite for the job.

Grade: B

Conclusion

The Dolphins are clearly taking a long-term approach, as evidenced by the fact that more than half of their cap space is dedicated to dead money for players no longer on the team. The result is a roster that almost entirely consists of players on rookie deals and bottom of the roster veteran talents on cheap contracts. On paper, the Dolphins look like one of the worst teams in recent memory and seem very unlikely to win more than a few games. They should be among the teams in competition for the #1 overall pick.

Prediction: 2-15, 4th in AFC East