The Dolphins have added another name to the linebacker mix for 2026, and Ronnie Harrison, Jr. arrives with a very specific job description. Miami’s top two linebackers remain Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, but the team also spent draft capital on Jacob Rodriguez in the second round and Kyle Louis in the fourth, so Harrison is walking into a crowded room with rookies in front of him and a one-year deal in hand.
Harrison’s path to Miami has taken him through Jacksonville, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Atlanta. A 2018 third-round pick out of Alabama, he signed with the Dolphins as a 2026 free agent on a contract worth $1.4 million, with a 2026 salary cap number of $1.2 million. For Miami, he’s the kind of low-cost veteran who can help stabilize a position group without demanding a featured role.
His 2025 season in Atlanta gives a pretty clear picture of what he can still offer. Harrison was brought in late during training camp, opened the year on the Falcons’ practice squad, and was promoted to the active roster in October. From there, he played roughly 40 percent of the defensive snaps as a rotational defender and was even more involved on special teams, where he logged 67 percent of the snaps.
Tre’Shon Diaz of The Falcoholic described the value he brought to Atlanta this way:
The late camp addition proved to be a well-timed signing. Harrison would end up supplanting Bertrand as the third linebacker in rotation, and it was because he could handle the speed of the game.
He also provided some juice in pressure packages, racking up seven pressures and two sacks. For the cost of his services (1.2 M), Harrison was a bargain.
That said, the flaws were there too. Diaz noted that Harrison posted the highest missed tackle rate in the Falcons linebacker room at 20.6 percent, and his lighter frame showed up against the run when he had to take on linemen. The overall read was simple: useful in relief, but not built for a bigger role.
That’s the same lane he appears headed for in Miami. Harrison can help on special teams and step into the defense if needed, but the Dolphins are likely to give the rookies every chance to get on the field first.
In a year where the roster and salary cap are being reset, a veteran with limitations is fighting uphill, and Harrison may already be staring at a roster-bubble battle. If he sticks, it will probably be because he proves he can be trusted on special teams.
If not, the practice squad looks like the most realistic landing spot, giving Miami a veteran insurance policy without spending a full roster spot.
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What stands out is how wide the range of expectations has become. The preview video pegs Miami with a ceiling of seven wins and a floor of one, while panelist Bucky Brooks was the lone voice projecting the Dolphins to clear the 4.5-win total set by oddsmakers. It is the kind of early forecast that says more about the uncertainty around this transition than any finished judgment on where the Dolphins are headed. [Read more 🡒]