The Miami Dolphins enter Week 1 near the bottom of Joe Schad’s preseason NFL power rankings, slotted at No. 30 as the league gets ready to kick off.
That’s the kind of placement that matches the gloomy expectations hanging over Miami before the first snap. The Dolphins open their season on Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Las Vegas Raiders, with kickoff set for 4:25 p.m. And around the league, the projections have already been rough: Miami is being widely pegged to finish somewhere between 3-14 and 5-12, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter already pointing to the Dolphins as the favorite to land the first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The NFL season begins even earlier than Miami’s opener, with Patriots at Seahawks on Wednesday, Sept. 9, followed by 49ers at Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10.
At the top of Schad’s list, the Los Angeles Rams hold the No. 1 spot, followed by the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos sit fourth, with the Ravens, Texans and Chargers rounding out the top seven. The New England Patriots check in at No. 8, and the Eagles, Packers and Jaguars fill out the top 11.
Miami is one of only three teams ranked below the Dolphins, with the Cleveland Browns at No. 31 and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 32.
Just ahead of Miami are the Tennessee Titans at No. 29 and the New Orleans Saints at No. 28.
Schad’s list also includes a key offseason addition for each team, and for Miami that name is Malik Willis.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Be Turning A Lingering O-Line Weakness Into A Strength
Jonah Savaiinaea spent his rookie year learning the hard way, but the Dolphins have seen a different version of the second-year guard this offseason. The added comfort has shown up on both sides of the line, and center Aaron Brewer has noticed the growth in pass protection and in the run game as Miami tries to firm up a spot that was too often a concern a year ago.
Kadyn Proctor has also given the Dolphins reason to believe there is more help coming on the interior, though the real test will arrive once the regular season starts and the pressure changes. For a team that has been looking for stability up front, the encouraging part is not just that one young lineman is progressing, but that there may be multiple options pushing the unit toward becoming a strength instead of a question. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have A Veteran Receiver Decision To Make
The Giants release of Darius Slayton created an immediate ripple across the veteran receiver market, and Miami is the kind of place where it naturally gets noticed. Slayton brings seven seasons of production with New York, along with 296 catches and 4,435 yards, and he also has a built-in connection to Dolphins wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert from their time together with the Giants.
For a Miami offense that can always use more proven depth at receiver, the fit is at least easy to picture. No move has been reported, but Slaytons availability gives the Dolphins another experienced option to weigh as they sort through their roster and look for help around a passing game that values reliable veterans as much as upside. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Depth Chart Just Sparked A Real Secondary Debate
The Dolphins unofficial Week 1 depth chart has already stirred up a real conversation on the back end, and Dante Trader Jr. is right in the middle of it. Miami listed the second-year safety as a starter alongside Zayne Anderson ahead of the opener against the Raiders, with rookie Michael Taaffe tucked in behind them, a setup that says as much about the competition in camp as it does about where the coaching staff thinks the secondary stands heading into Sunday.
Miami also put six rookies in first-team roles across the chart, a sign that the roster is still being sorted even with the season here. Among the first-year players getting prominent spots are receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, along with nickel cornerback Chris Johnson, but the more interesting question is how much of this opening-week alignment reflects a firm plan and how much is simply the first public snapshot of a group that still has room to shift. [Read more 🡒]