7 Biggest Questions Following Dolphins' Mandatory Minicamp

The Miami Dolphins wrapped up Mandatory Minicamp on Thursday with a walkthrough that was closed to the media. Two days of non-padded practice isn’t the best evaluation tool, but it’s the closest thing to real football that we’ll get at this time of the year. 

Even if real football wasn’t played this week, we did hear from many of the team’s players and Coach Mike McDaniel about how the team is progressing thus far. 

So, what are the biggest questions we still have following Mandatory Minicamp? Let’s look at seven that will have to be answered either before the season or during it. 

We’ve decided to leave off the trade speculation questions around Jonnu Smith and Jalen Ramsey and instead focus on storylines for players who attended minicamp. 

1. Will the Dolphins Walk the Walk on Culture? 

If you followed any of the coach and player interviews from this week at all, then you probably know just how popular a talking point “culture” was for everyone. 

Basically, every player and coach was asked about it, and several plays brought it up without being asked. Bradley Chubb said the team “lied” about changing the culture last season, and McDaniel was adamant this year would be different. 

McDaniel spoke about accountability all week, which is great. All the Dolphins can do now is say the right things, and they have, but a real test of culture won’t come until the team faces genuine adversity during the season. 

Most “culture” talk, especially this time of the year, is filled with non-specifics and generalizations. Miami can tell the world 2025 will be different, but until they show everyone, this narrative won’t go away. 

2. Will Tua Protect Himself? 

Tua Tagovailoa spoke to the media for the first time since last season and the first time since he missed the last two games of the season with a hip injury. 

Tua played in his fewest games since his rookie season in 2024, and it greatly stunted the Dolphins’ chances of making the postseason. Given his extensive injury history, there are always questions about what Tua is doing to protect himself. 

Both of his injuries from last season were suffered on plays where he took an unnecessary risk, either by not sliding or trying to pick up extra yards by initiating contact. 

Tua spoke at length about changing his mindset this coming season, ensuring he doesn’t take those same risks again. But just like culture talk, Tua will have to prove that on the field. 

3. Will the Dolphins’ Offense Make More Explosive Plays? 

Miami’s inability to generate explosive plays was another central talking point this past week, and for good reason. The Dolphins finished last in the NFL in plays that went for 25 or more yards in 2024, after ranking near the top of the league in the previous two seasons. 

McDaniel — and our own analysis — cited the team’s lack of balance on offense. The Dolphins’ running game took a step back last season, allowing defenses to sit back and cap Miami’s passing attack. 

There were other factors, but as McDaniel put it, the Dolphins need to earn favorable looks to generate more explosive plays in 2025. It’s impossible to properly judge whether the Dolphins’ running game is fixed during practices without pads. 

But Miami made significant investments in improved blocking — Jonah Savaiinaea, James Daniels, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Pharaoh Brown — and set to rely more on Jaylen Wright, a bigger, tougher back. 

If Miami doesn’t get this right, 2025 could look pretty similar to 2024 on offense. 

4. Is the Cornerback Room Set? 

Moving to the defensive side of the ball, cornerback remains a big question mark following minicamp. McDaniel failed to name names when asked if any of the Dolphins’ current players stood out, but mentioned he was happy with the group’s performance. 

Ethan Bonner and Storm Duck earned orange practice jerseys during OTAs, so we know they’ve had some strong showings this offseason. 

The veteran cornerback market has a lot of names that could upgrade the Dolphins’ room, including Rasul Douglas, Asante Samuel Jr., and the recently released Jaire Alexander. The Miami Herald reported the Dolphins have been in contact with the first two but won’t reach out to Alexander. 

Miami will have to decide if it wants to ride out the season with its unproven group or attempt to add a veteran with more experience. Regardless of the Dolphins’ choice, it’s hard to imagine the cornerback room being a strength in 2025. 

5. Is the Offensive Line Coming Together? 

The Dolphins’ offensive line has a lot of moving parts. 

Patrick Paul is taking over at left tackle for Terron Armstead, and Austin Jackson is returning from a season-ending injury, but at least they were on the team last year. James Daniels is returning from an Achilles tear and learning a new scheme, while Jonah Savaiinaea will likely start as a rookie. 

The first question is figuring out which side of the line Daniels and Savaiinaea will play. McDaniel said Daniels is comfortable doing either, and once they pick a side for Savaiinaea, they’d like to leave him there. 

Again, without pads, it’s impossible to know how good this group actually is. However, Jackson and Daniels received positive injury updates and were on the field this week. 

Whatever the Dolphins can do to keep this group healthy and working together before training camp should be of paramount importance. 

6. Will the Rookie DTs Be Ready? 

Similarly to the offensive line, it’s impossible to get a grasp on the play of defensive tackles without padded practice. Still, Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, and possibly even Zeek Biggers, could play a big role this season. 

Miami’s strategy of attempting to rebuild its defensive tackle depth through the draft and by signing low-level free agents is one of its bigger swings of the offseason. 

If Grant and Phillips struggle, the Dolphins’ run defense might be in a tough spot. 

McDaniel mentioned that Grant has quickly earned the respect of the veteran defenders, but he needs to hit the ground running when training camp opens next month. 

7. Are Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers the Answer at QB2? 

The Dolphins won’t escape the backup quarterback questions until they figure it out, and their 2025 plan is pretty high-risk. 

We’ve written about Zach Wilson’s past struggles at length, but his comments from this week opened an interesting window into how the Dolphins offense could benefit his development. Wilson has to get the ball out quicker, and that’s what Miami’s offense is all about. 

As for Ewers, he played in a similar scheme at Texas, but went in the seventh round after his college tape took a nosedive despite Texas’ success last season. He assuredly has a chip on his shoulder, but he needs a lot of development to be trusted as the team’s main backup. 

Neither player looked like a star at minicamp, but basing any opinions on “minicamp stats” is absurd. Whether Wilson and Ewers can finally solve the Dolphins’ QB2 problems remains unanswered.

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