The Miami Dolphins are staring at 2026 with a roster that still needs a lot of repair work, and ESPN analyst Mike Clay’s positional rankings make that reality pretty blunt.
Clay placed the Dolphins 32nd in the NFL at five different position groups: wide receiver, tight end, edge rusher, cornerback and safety. In other words, half of the 10 spots he ranked came back with Miami at the very bottom of the league.
That starts in the secondary, where safety is the clearest red flag. Miami traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets this offseason and also no longer has Ashtyn Davis. That leaves Dante Trader Jr., Lonnie Johnson Jr., Michael Taafe and Zayne Anderson as the current options, a group that does not exactly inspire confidence.
Cornerback came in last as well, though there is at least a little more to work with there. Chris Johnson, the Dolphins’ first-round pick, gives the room some hope, and Storm Duck, Jason Marshall Jr. and JuJu Brents are part of the mix too. Still, Clay wasn’t impressed, writing, "On paper, this is an arguably worse group than the one that allowed a 58.3 QBR last season (fifth worst)."
The edge rush group also landed at No. 32, which is not hard to understand even with Chop Robinson in the picture. Robinson remains the most interesting name there, but he has not yet matched first-round expectations.
Clay pointed out that "his running mates have generally worked as depth/rotation players." Josh Uche, Clelin Ferrell, Cameron Goode and David Ojabo round out a group with very little proven juice.
Tight end is another spot with plenty of uncertainty. Darren Waller is gone, and Greg Dulcich now heads the room, though he does not bring much long-term upside. Rookie options Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore add some intrigue, but neither is ready to be counted on yet.
Wide receiver may be the least encouraging of the skill-position groups. Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell are the veterans, and none of them project as major difference-makers in the short term or beyond. Rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell could become something, but their roles this season and their overall ceilings remain unclear.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. Miami has already moved on from a lot of key veterans, cut ties with others, and is carrying more than $100 million in dead cap. The roster is in rebuild mode, and Clay’s overall ranking of the Dolphins at 32nd fits that picture.
Jon-Eric Sullivan has plenty on his plate, and the Dolphins still need help in a hurry at those five spots. If Malik Willis does not work out, that list could grow to six.
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The problem is that he is also dealing with an injury, and Jeff Hafley has described the situation as week-to-week. That leaves Grant in an awkward spot, trying to build momentum while the Dolphins sort out where he fits compared with the other defensive tackles on the roster. For a player the team clearly wants to see take a step, the next few weeks will matter just as much as the long-term projection. [Read more 🡒]