Miami Dolphins ranked 18th in pre-season PFN power rankings

The Miami Dolphins have been ranked in the lower half of the league in Pro Football Network’s pre-season power rankings.

NFL experts and pundits seem to be divided when it comes to their expectations for the Miami Dolphins this upcoming season. This is for good reason, as there is potential championship-level talent at certain positions, while there are gigantic question marks at others.

Pro Football Focus is one of the outlets that has Miami ranked in the bottom half of the league. According to Dalton Miller and his pre-training camp power rankings, the Dolphins are the 18th best team at the conclusion of the offseason. The rankings are done in tiers, and the 18th spot falls in the “possible division winners/playoff contenders” category, which reaches all the way down to number 19 (Chargers).

Some of the decisions that Miller made when creating the rankings are interesting. The Cowboys and their suspect defense are ranked all the way up at number 10, and the Washington Football Team that finished 7-9 last year are listed as the 12th best team. Slotted directly above Miami are the division rival New England Patriots, who finished a full three games behind the Dolphins in last year’s standings. These teams have certainly made positive progression to their rosters, but so have the Dolphins, who clearly outperformed them all last season.

If the 2021 campaign were to play out exactly as Miller and PFN have predicted in their pre-season power rankings, then Miami would be the first team out of the playoffs in the AFC. That would be a familiar place for the Dolphins, who missed the postseason last year despite having a 55+ percent chance of clinching going in to the final week.

The top of the list has the familiar names. The defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers are ranked number 1, while the runner-up Chiefs are number 2. Rounding out a definitive top three are the Bills ,but the rest of the list might as well be a crap shoot. The Packers are ranked fourth solely based on the possibility of Aaron Rogers still being the quarterback, and the Browns find themselves in the fifth spot. The Ravens, Rams, and Seahawks round out the top 8.

These rankings will be interesting to keep an eye on as the 2021 season progresses. The Dolphins should be able to make a quick ascent up the board if they live up to their own expectations, and they will be one of the most closely followed and scrutinized teams all year long.