The Miami Dolphins spent the offseason turning over the roster, and the message from the new regime was clear: get younger, get cheaper, and find players who fit the scheme. That approach has already helped ease long-term salary cap pressure, but the whole plan only works if the young core starts delivering real production. For Miami, the next step is less about potential and more about breakout seasons.
On defense, that means a handful of players have a chance to take a big leap in 2026.
Jason Marshall, Jr. is one of the names worth watching at cornerback. A lot of the attention is going to land on first-round pick Chris Johnson, but Marshall has made enough of an impression in offseason camps to put himself in position to start opposite Johnson on opening day. His rookie season was slowed by injuries, and the hope now is that he stays healthy and thrives in Jeff Hafley’s zone-heavy system.
Chop Robinson is another player the Dolphins are counting on to level up. The first-round edge rusher entered the league with plenty of expectations, but his rookie year came with uneven results.
Even so, he flashed real upside late in the season, and after an impressive spring, Miami believes the new defensive scheme suits him better. The goal is for Robinson to become an every-down force who can consistently produce double-digit sacks.
Kenneth Grant also looks like a player with a big role ahead. The 2025 13th overall pick finished his rookie year on a strong note, and the Dolphins want him to keep building from there as an anchor on the interior of the defensive line. The new scheme should give him more chances to attack gaps instead of constantly dealing with double teams.
Jordan Phillips quietly put together a useful rookie season as a rotational defensive tackle. The fifth-round pick played in all 17 games and finished with 34 tackles, including one for loss. That kind of steady production gives Miami something to work with as it looks to deepen the defensive front.
Dante Trader Jr. may be the most intriguing name of the group at safety. He has stood out throughout offseason workouts and practices, and the coaching staff has praised both his physicality and leadership. That has put him in line to be a starter, which would be a significant development at a position the Dolphins need to stabilize.
In Other News...
Dolphins Could Have A Quarterback Fight Nobody Saw Coming
The Dolphins have spent the offseason talking about competition everywhere, with Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan making it clear that the best players will play. Quarterback has been the one obvious exception so far, but the position is starting to look less settled than it did when camp opened, especially with a young challenger pushing to make the decision harder than expected.
Malik Willis enters the summer with the job, and Quinn Ewers is the name to watch as training camp unfolds. If Ewers keeps building on the flashes he showed in OTAs and minicamp, Miami could find itself with a real conversation on its hands, one complicated by the kind of contract and expectations that make every rough stretch feel bigger than it should. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have Real Hope At Their Biggest Camp Concern
The Dolphins came into the spring with one of their biggest question marks sitting in the secondary, a group that looked thin on paper and easy to worry about heading toward training camp. But OTAs and minicamps have offered a different picture under defensive coordinator Sean Duggan and coach Jeff Hafley, with the young defensive backs showing enough progress to make the position feel less like a liability and more like a work in progress with real upside.
Rookie Chris Johnson has helped change the tone, and Jason Marshall has done enough to put himself in position to matter right away. Miami still appears committed to building this out from within rather than chasing outside help, which makes the next few weeks important for a unit trying to grow together before the pads come on and the depth chart gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Why This Dolphins Rebuild Feels Different Heading Into Camp
Training camp arrives with the Dolphins in a familiar place on the calendar but a different place in spirit. This rebuild has a cleaner organizational feel, with head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan aligned on the same vision for the culture and identity they want to build. After years of turnover and mixed messages, that kind of unity matters as much as any depth chart battle when a team is trying to reset itself.
The contrast with the last reboot in 2019 is hard to miss, especially for a franchise that knows how quickly a promising plan can unravel when the people in charge are not pulling the same way. Miami is also preparing to spend the season developing young players and living with the reality that it will be an underdog in nearly every game, which makes the long view even more important. The bigger question now is whether this version of the rebuild can stay coordinated once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]