The Miami Dolphins are trying to build a path back to respectability, but the whole thing starts with one fragile truth: this roster can’t afford much bad luck up front.
That’s the real issue hanging over Miami. If the offensive line holds together, there’s at least a way to imagine a quicker turnaround than people expect.
Malik Willis brings dual-threat juice at quarterback, De’Von Achane is a game-changing tailback, and the starting line has enough talent on paper to make the picture look promising. If new head coach Jeff Hafley gets the defense to overachieve, the Dolphins could make some noise.
But that’s a lot of ifs. Training camp has already shown how thin this thing can get, especially in the trenches. And for a lot of those spots, the upside is still mostly theory.
Right guard is one of the biggest concerns. Jonah Savaiinaea, the 2025 second-round pick, has the draft pedigree to suggest he should be able to handle the job with Austin Jackson and Aaron Brewer next to him. But he was PFF’s worst-graded guard last year, and Jamaree Salyer may have beaten him out for the spot if not for landing on IR this week.
That leaves rookie fifth-rounder DJ Campbell as the only other real option there. Campbell, a Texas product, is an explosive athlete who ran a 5.01 40-yard dash. The question is whether he’ll get enough work in camp to be ready if Miami needs him in a real game.
There’s a little more patience available with Savaiinaea than there would be on a contending roster, but even in a rebuild there’s a limit. At some point, the Dolphins will have to decide whether to keep waiting or move on.
Left guard has its own headache. Kadyn Proctor, Miami’s first-round pick and the first selection of GM Jon-Eric Sullivan’s tenure, played left tackle at Alabama well enough to go 12th overall. Now he’s being asked to switch to guard because Patrick Paul is holding down the spot Proctor would normally play as Terron Armstead’s long-term successor.
Early camp reports say Proctor is leaning on the veterans around him and taking everything in. That sounds fine.
But the NFL is not the SEC, and Proctor’s size - over 350 pounds - makes weight a constant question. If he can’t hold up for all 17 games, Miami doesn’t have much behind him.
James Ester, a two-year Green Bay Packers practice squad veteran who is converting from defensive tackle to guard, is basically the fallback.
The Dolphins have already shown how ugly this can get when the line breaks down. In their preseason opener, a 20-7 loss to the Commanders, Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller were thrown into a bad situation and paid for it.
Malik Willis had a solid start with the starters blocking for him, but Ewers completed just one of eight passes and threw an interception. Miller went 3-for-11 with two interceptions.
Those numbers were rough enough on their own. Put the passer ratings together and they came out to 3.9.
If they had simply thrown incompletions every time, the rating would have been 39.6. And if intentional grounding weren’t a factor, the Dolphins might have been better off spiking it every snap against Washington.
That mess wasn’t only on the quarterbacks. Miami’s pass protection was poor, and the depth at receiver didn’t help either. The larger point was obvious: if one piece on the offensive line goes down, the whole operation can wobble fast.
Tackle may be the weakest link of all. Patrick Paul looks like the more established answer on the left side, but Austin Jackson has had trouble staying healthy in recent years and already missed time in camp before returning.
Miami responded by making a rare AFC East trade for Caedan Wallace from the Patriots, giving itself another option at swing tackle. Before that move, Charlie Heck was the only realistic candidate.
Sullivan had recently made it clear how important Jackson is to the offense, saying on 104.3 WQAM: "We need him out there. Our offense's not the same when he's not in the lineup...He's eager to prove to this team and to this league that he's one of the upper-echelon tackles in this league."
Wallace, a 2024 second-round pick, barely saw the field in New England and was close to being released before Miami stepped in. The Patriots were ready to move on, and now the Dolphins need him to be more than just another name in the mix.
Whether Wallace can beat out Heck and show something close to that third-round promise matters more than it should. But that’s where Miami is right now. For the Dolphins, the difference between a competitive season and a mess may come down to whether the offensive line can stay standing long enough to protect Willis, open space for Achane, and keep the whole thing from collapsing.
In Other News...
Malik Willis Is Giving Dolphins Fans A Real QB Debate
Malik Willis first start for the Dolphins offered a reminder that the conversation around Miamis quarterback room is no longer just about depth or development. After a slow offseason, he bounced back with a touchdown drive in his debut, and the way he handled the moment matched what he flashed during a strong training camp. For a fan base that has been looking for more than just a backup storyline, that was enough to turn a routine preseason-type evaluation into something a little more serious.
What makes the situation especially interesting is the ripple effect it could have beyond this season. Willis play has already fueled speculation about whether he can grow into something more than a short-term option, and Miamis long-term planning could eventually reflect that if he keeps trending upward. The bigger question is whether the Dolphins approach to the quarterback position in 2027 starts to look very different depending on what he does over the coming months. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Get A Rookie Boost But One Question Still Looms
The Dolphins got a small but meaningful lift this week with the activation of rookie wide receiver Chris Bell from the non-football injury list, adding another young piece to an offense that already had plenty of reasons to be watched closely. Bell is coming back from the season-ending knee injury he suffered in college, and Miami views his return as a welcome boost to its group of weapons as camp moves toward the regular season.
Bells presence now gives the Dolphins a better chance to sort through their receiver depth with more options on the field, which is especially useful as the opener approaches. The next question is less about whether Miami wants him available and more about how quickly he can put himself in position to help when the team lines up for the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Bell Gives Dolphins Receiving Battle Real Intrigue Again
The Dolphins receiving group got a little more interesting this week with rookie wideout Chris Bell coming off the Non-Football Injury list as he keeps working back from the torn ACL he suffered before training camp. Bells return to the practice mix gives Miami another young option to evaluate as the preseason schedule approaches, and it adds a little more shape to a competition that had already been drawing attention around the roster.
Jeff Hafley and Bobby Slowik have both pointed to Bells progress while also stressing patience, which makes sense given how much time he has missed and how careful the team needs to be about avoiding a setback. Even so, the fact that he is now positioned to be available for the preseason and possibly the regular-season opener gives the Dolphins one more name to watch in a receiver battle that suddenly feels a lot less straightforward. [Read more 🡒]