The Dolphins didn’t need a reminder that preseason can get messy fast, but Saturday’s loss to the Giants delivered one anyway. With Miami sitting its entire starting lineup, the game tilted early and never really came back. Even so, the film gave the staff - and Jon-Eric Sullivan - a clear look at the kind of depth this roster is working with as the final 53 takes shape.
One of the biggest takeaways came on the back end, where the secondary’s depth showed its age. Chris Johnson and Jason Marshall were only on the field briefly in the first quarter, and JuJu Brents didn’t play at all.
The defenders behind them tackled well, but they had trouble staying attached to Giants receivers, and New York’s quarterbacks were able to find those soft spots. That kind of result isn’t exactly a shock given how inexperienced the Dolphins’ depth is, but it still stands out.
Willie Gay Jr. also made his presence felt. There were a few snaps where he wasn’t in the right spot, but his effort never dipped.
He was around the ball constantly and made plays when he was on the field. The Dolphins should already feel good about him making the roster, but it would be useful to see him alongside more experienced teammates.
Trey Moore’s injury could open the door to more chances.
The receiver picture is still hazy, too. Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, Kevin Coleman and Malik Washington look like the core of the room, but beyond that group, Miami doesn’t seem to have much settled.
Jaelan Reagor, Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert all got work in the second half and produced similar results. Nobody separated, and none of them were pulled.
Those final two spots are still very much up for grabs.
Up front, the margin for error looks razor thin. Charlie Heck is the backup for Austin Jackson and would also step in for Patrick Paul, but he’s had a rough camp and struggled again in this one.
Andrew Meyer didn’t offer much more in relief of Aaron Brewer, who sat out. The backups as a group never really stabilized, and rookie D.J.
Campbell hasn’t made the leap many expected. Miami may need to keep an eye on the free-agent market after final cuts.
The one player who may have helped himself the most was Jackson Woodard. The Dolphins still have decisions to make at inside linebacker, but Woodard keeps showing he belongs at the NFL level.
He wasn’t perfect - nobody is in August - but he consistently found the ball carrier and brought physical contact. He was noticeable throughout the entire first half, and that kind of steady work can go a long way.
In Other News...
Jeff Hafley Sounds Fed Up With Dolphins Players Fighting For Jobs
Jeff Hafley came away from Miamis preseason loss to the New York Giants sounding more irritated than encouraged, and it was easy to see why. The Dolphins kept handing the game back with self-inflicted mistakes on offense and special teams, including holds, a fumble, a shanked punt and a stream of penalties that kept undercutting any chance to build rhythm. For a staff trying to sort out the back end of the roster, it was the kind of sloppy tape that makes every evaluation harder than it already is.
The bigger concern now is how little time there is left for players trying to force their way into jobs. Hafley made clear that many of the players who logged meaningful snaps in the preseason finale are probably headed for cuts, which only raises the pressure on anyone still fighting to stand out. When the mistakes are piling up and the margin for error is shrinking, the final audition can turn into a painfully short opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Ugly Start Is Fueling A Debate Fans Dread
The first two preseason games have already put the Dolphins in an uncomfortable spot, even with many of the starters sitting out. Miami was outscored 46-10, and while August results rarely tell the whole story, the early tape has reopened familiar questions about where this team really stands. Jeff Hafley has made it clear the group is not yet where it needs to be, which is hardly the kind of message that settles a fan base looking for signs of a sharper start.
What follows from here is the part Dolphins supporters know all too well, the debate over talent, physicality, quarterback play and how long a rebuild or reset should take to show up in the standings. Some around the team see pieces that can still come together, while others are already looking ahead and wondering how much patience the roster can reasonably ask for. For now, the numbers are ugly, the concerns are real, and the bigger question hanging over camp is whether this is just a noisy August stumble or something more revealing. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Preseason Loss Exposed A Roster Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The second week of the 2026 preseason offered a rough snapshot of where Miamis roster stands beneath the top line. With most of the starters resting against the Giants, the Dolphins leaned hard on depth players, and the result was a lopsided 26-3 loss that exposed problems on both sides of the ball. The offense had trouble getting moving, the defense had a hard time slowing New York, and the kind of clean, stable play teams want from their backups simply was not there.
There were a few bright spots, most notably rookie Jackson Woodard, who flashed with tackles and a fumble recovery, but the bigger concern was what happened up front. Miamis offensive line depth struggled significantly, which is the sort of issue that can ripple through the rest of the roster if it does not get cleaned up quickly. Injuries to linebacker Trey Moore and running back Ollie Gordon only added to the uneasy feeling leaving the game, because preseason losses are one thing, but depth concerns that come with physical setbacks are usually the ones teams spend the rest of August trying to solve. [Read more 🡒]