The first wave of Miami Dolphins training camp has already begun, and the rookies were the ones who got things rolling last week at the team’s training facility. With the full roster set to arrive in Miami Gardens this week, the buzz around camp is only picking up.
Even if the Dolphins are not viewed as a playoff team this season, there is still plenty to watch. FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest odds have Miami as the AFC team least likely to make the postseason at +1500, which is double the number for the next closest team, the New York Jets. That backdrop fits the bigger picture in Miami, where the franchise has moved into a rebuild after the Mike McDaniel era and is now following the direction of new head coach Jeff Hafley.
A big part of that shift is youth. Miami brought in 13 drafted rookies and 12 undrafted free agents, and the early-round class has already sparked plenty of interest.
When fans were asked which first-, second-, or third-round pick they were most eager to see this summer, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez ran away with the vote. The second-rounder drew just under a majority and pulled in more support than first-round picks guard Kaydn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson combined.
The rest of the early-round group trailed well behind. Third-round wide receiver Caleb Douglas finished fourth with nine percent of the vote, tight end Will Kacmarek got three percent, and third-round wide receiver Chris Bell came in last with two percent.
Rodriguez arrives from Texas Tech with a decorated résumé. He finished fifth in the 2025 Heieman Trophy vote and won the Chuck Bednarik, Butkus, Lombardi, and Bronko Nagurski awards. He also steps into a linebacker pipeline that has already produced major names for Miami from Texas Tech, including Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas and current starter and All-Pro Jordyn Brooks.
So the spotlight is on Rodriguez as camp ramps up, but he is hardly the only rookie worth tracking once the Dolphins hit the practice field.
In Other News...
Jacob Rodriguez Is Giving Dolphins Fans Real Hope In Camp
The Dolphins opened training camp last week with rookies reporting first and the full roster following this week, and the early buzz has centered on a player who was not even Miamis first pick. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the second-rounder out of Texas Tech, has quickly become the rookie fans are most eager to see, a sign that the excitement around this class is already stretching beyond the usual first-round spotlight.
Rodriguezs appeal is easy to understand. He arrives with a decorated college rsum and a reputation as a player who can fit into the kind of rebuilding effort Miami is trying to build under new head coach Jeff Hafley. In a fan poll, he stood out clearly from the rest of the rookie group, which only adds to the sense that his first camp could matter more than the draft slot suggests, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Just Made Another Telling Move To Patch Their Edge Problem
The Dolphins kept working on the edges of their roster by adding a veteran pass rusher and making room with a corresponding cut, another sign the front office is still searching for answers at a position that has been under the microscope. The new arrival brings seven seasons of NFL experience and the kind of pedigree that once made him a top pick, even if his path since then has taken him through multiple teams and into a depth role.
Kahlil Saunders was the odd man out in the transaction, and the move only sharpens the competition among Miamis younger edge players. For a team still sorting out who can reliably help off the edge, this looks like a low-risk attempt to stabilize the group and keep the pressure on everyone in the room. [Read more 🡒]
Tua Is Suddenly Closing In On A Fresh Start Dolphins Fans Know Well
A familiar quarterback storyline is resurfacing as training camp nears, with Adam Schefter reporting that Tua Tagovailoa is in line to open as the starter in Atlanta. For Dolphins fans, it is the kind of update that instantly brings back memories of what Tagovailoa can look like when a team is built to lean into his strengths, and it also puts him in position for a clean reset with a new organization.
Kevin Stefanski is now the head coach in Atlanta, and his past praise of Tagovailoa has only added to the sense that this pairing could make sense on paper. The offense is also viewed as a better fit for Tagovailoas style, which is why this move has started to feel less like a stopgap and more like a real chance for him to settle in somewhere new, even if the final shape of the quarterback room is still waiting to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]