Week 2 is already putting the Miami Dolphins under the microscope, and the trust meter is telling a pretty clear story: a few players are building momentum fast, while others are already forcing real questions.
The biggest rise belongs to Jacob Rodriguez. In his first game as the Dolphins’ “green-dot” linebacker, he piled up 14 tackles in Week 1, the most for a rookie since Zach Thomas in Week 2 of 1996, when Thomas had 16.
Rodriguez was everywhere, slipping through traffic and finding the ball carrier again and again. Now comes a much tougher assignment, with Christian McCaffrey and likely Deebo Samuel waiting on the other side.
Jordyn Brooks sits near the top as well. He may not have flashed the same way Rodriguez did, but the veteran linebacker is the steady force on the defense, and that matters even more with a rookie beside him. His presence is part of what lets Rodriguez play fast, and the Dolphins will need that combination to hold up.
De'Von Achane also remains firmly in the trust category. His Week 1 stat line wasn’t what anyone wanted, but that had plenty to do with Bobby Slowik calling only 13 runs. Achane is still the back defenses are keying on, and the Dolphins need to keep giving him the ball because the big play is going to come eventually.
Up front, Patrick Paul showed enough to keep moving in the right direction. He was not spotless against the Raiders, but he was clearly better than Austin Jackson, and he now gets another test against quality edge defenders. This could be the week where he really announces himself.
There’s also real momentum behind Kadyn Proctor and Caleb Douglas. Proctor’s NFL debut went better than expected, with his size, strength, and quick feet helping him stay square and cut off rushers in his gap.
Douglas made an even louder first impression, finishing with 94 yards on five catches. Outside of Rodriguez, he may be the fastest-rising Dolphin right now, though the 49ers’ secondary will be a tougher measuring stick than the Raiders’.
Not everyone is moving up cleanly. Chris Johnson was all over the stat sheet against the Raiders with 11 tackles and two pass breakups, but the two touchdowns he allowed changed the tone in a hurry.
Jeff Hafley later said the designed help on those plays was out of position, and Michael Taaffe also spoke to the media and said he was responsible. Malik Willis had a mixed Dolphins debut too.
At times he looked sharp; at others, the hesitation showed up, especially under pressure. He has to get rid of the ball or throw it away instead of taking the drive-killing sacks.
The lower end of the trust index has a few familiar headaches. Austin Jackson struggled in Week 1 and has not earned much confidence yet, even if missing most of last season offers some explanation for the rough start.
Aaron Brewer had a bad opener, with two penalties and major issues in run blocking. He is still trusted, but Week 2 needs to look a lot better.
Riley Patterson is in a shaky spot after missing a 41-yard field goal. That’s the kind of miss that tightens the leash quickly, especially if the inconsistency continues and Jeff Hafley starts losing confidence in longer attempts.
The special teams picture is even uglier for Chris Tabor. Patterson’s miss was one thing, but the kick-return unit also kept giving the Raiders field position near the 50-yard line. That is not the kind of start anyone expected from a coordinator who arrived with plenty of hype.
And then there’s Chop Robinson. His debut was rough, and now he is in the concussion protocol. The lack of impact already had fans frustrated, and the injury only adds another layer of concern heading into another difficult matchup for the third-year defensive end.
Jonah Savaiinaea is sliding too. Whatever was said in training camp, Week 1 did not back it up. Pro Football Focus graded the second-year interior lineman at 50.9 in run blocking and 38.2 in pass protection, numbers that leave plenty of room for doubt and could make this a season-long conversation.
In Other News...
Dolphins Draft Outlook Got Real Ugly After Just One Game
A rough opening weekend has already pushed the Dolphins into an unexpected spot in the early draft conversation. After their loss to the Raiders, ESPNs Football Power Index now gives Miami the highest chance of landing a top-10 pick in next springs draft, a jarring development for a team that entered the season with much different expectations. The projections are bleak enough to make the conversation feel less like a slow-burn concern and more like an immediate reality check.
ESPNs simulations have Miami with a 38% shot at the No. 1 overall pick and an average draft position of 2.9, while the betting market is essentially treating this as a team in danger of finishing with only a handful of wins. The road ahead does little to ease the pressure, with matchups coming against the 49ers, Chiefs, Vikings and Bengals. For a club that still has plenty of football left, the bigger question now is whether the season can stabilize before the draft picture gets even uglier. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Run Defense Is Becoming A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
The run defense is starting to look like more than a one-game annoyance for the Dolphins after Las Vegas pushed the ball on the ground for 130 yards in the latest matchup. Ashton Jeanty did most of the damage, and the bigger concern for Miami was how often the Raiders were able to lean on their offensive line and keep the defense on its heels in the trenches.
Defensive coordinator Mike Hafley pointed to early tentative play and a few misalignments, though he did say the group settled in better after halftime. Even with that adjustment, Miami sits 23rd against the run, and the next stretch will go a long way in showing whether this was a bad afternoon or the start of a more stubborn problem. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Face A Week 2 Test They Cant Keep Avoiding
The Dolphins came out of Week 1 looking like a team still trying to find its offensive balance. Against the Raiders, Miami ran the ball only 18 times and never really settled into the kind of rhythm that has made this offense dangerous when it is at its best. For a team built around speed and spacing, the ground game still matters, and getting De'Von Achane going behind a sturdier interior front feels like a necessary step rather than a luxury.
Week 2 offers a clearer chance to clean that up, with San Francisco's interior defensive line coming in banged up and not nearly as imposing as it usually is. Miami's next test is not just about whether the Dolphins can create more efficient rushing lanes, but whether the offensive line can help them avoid another one-dimensional afternoon. The Niners still have pass rushers who can tilt a game, but the more immediate question for Miami is whether this is the week the run game finally gets treated like a real part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]