Bold Predictions for Dolphins 2025 Season

The Miami Dolphins are set to begin the season next weekend against the Indianapolis Colts. And there’s no better way to celebrate a new season than making some overzealous predictions. 

While we believe these predictions could happen, they are intentionally exaggerated just a bit. Let’s take a look at some of our bolder takes for the 2025 season

5 Bold Predictions for 2025 Dolphins Season 

Jaylen Waddle Outperforms Tyreek Hill 

Both receivers had a down year in 2024 and are expecting to play much better this season. We think they will if Tua Tagovailoa stays on the field for most of the season, but there’s a chance Waddle leaves 2025 as the de facto top option. 

Hill is still plenty fast at his age, but he fought through injury all of last season and was sidelined for a while during camp. He’s on pace to play in Week 1, but Tua’s training camp connection with Waddle was pretty evident. 

Even from a team-building perspective, it would be better for the Dolphins if Waddle took a step forward this season. The writing is on the wall for this to be Hill’s last season in South Florida, so funneling more targets to Waddle makes sense. 

Waddle has had his own minor injury concerns over the years, but he rarely actually misses time. Hill’s career is winding down, and Waddle should be ascending still — don’t be surprised if he overtakes Hill in the pecking order this season. 

Chop Robinson Is an All-Pro Contender 

Our next big swing is betting on a young player who showed immense promise last season in Chop Robinson. 

Miami’s first-round pick from the 2024 NFL draft had an impressive end to his rookie season and has a great opportunity to carry that into this season. 

Robinson had just 11 quarterback pressures during the first eight weeks last season, but he turned the corner in the season’s second half. From Week 9 on, Robinson posted 45 quarterback pressures, including 10 in the Dolphins’ Week 12 win against the New England Patriots. He also recorded all six of his sacks from last season during that stretch.

Now, Robinson is paired with a front seven that includes Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Zach Sieler and Matthew Judon. 

Teams will have immense trouble blocking all of those players, especially if they’re on the field at the same time, like we saw during the preseason (minus Judon). That should open a ton of 1-on-1 pass-rush reps for Chop, and any improvements he’s made to his pass-rush counters should go a long way toward production. 

Making the All-Pro team as an edge rusher is nearly impossible with players like Myles Garrett and the recently traded Micah Parsons around, but it wouldn’t shock us if Robinson’s pass-rush numbers are on the same level. 

Ifeatu Melifonwu Becomes Long-Term Starter 

Miami’s safety room has a lot of names, but outside of Minkah Fitzpatrick, it has few proven names. Melifonwu was signed from the Lions this offseason, and he’s got the potential to emerge as a long-term piece in 2025. 

The only real question with his game is his injuries. 

The only time Melifonwu has played more than 10 games in a season was in 2023. He’s been limited by various injuries, but most recently missed all but four games of the 2024 season after a training camp ankle injury.

This has led to Melifonwu playing in just 37 games across four seasons, and he’s played more than 250 snaps just once (535 in 2023). Even that comes with an asterisk, as Melifonwu only became a consistent contributor starting in Week 14.

However, Melifonwu’s 2023 season shows an incredibly versatile and impactful safety. He’s got cornerback skills from his college days, range on the backend, and is a willing tackler in the running game. 

For the Dolphins, Melifonwu’s versatility matches up nicely with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s willingness to move players around the backend. He can play the slot, in the box, or in a deep half. The same can be said about Fitzpatrick, giving Weaver a wide range of options. 

This is Melifonwu’s best chance to prove he belongs, and we think there’s a good chance he does. 

Dolphins Finish With NFL’s Most Impactful Rookie Class 

“Impactful” is an incredibly subjective term, but Miami’s rookie class is set up to make waves this season. 

Kenneth Grant, Jonah Savaiinaea and Jason Marshall Jr. are slated to start in Week 1, while Jordan Phillips and Ollie Gordon II are slated to be rotational options who have the space to earn a bigger role as the year goes on. 

Not only are Miami’s rookies in a great spot to make a name for themselves, but their strong performances would help push back against narratives in the national media. 

The national media is pretty down on Miami because of the team’s supposed lack of toughness in the trenches, poor running game, and lackluster secondary. 

Grant, Savaiinaea and Phillips playing well can address the first one. Gordon and Savaiianea can help fix the second, and Marshall can at least give Miami one young, long-term starter at cornerback. 

The Dolphins’ rookie class is set up for success in phases of the game that matter. It’s a stretch because really only Marshall plays a high-visibility position, but there’s a chance they net out among the NFL’s best from this class. 

Miami’s Offensive Line Is “Good”

Again, we’re using a highly subjective term here, but the Dolphins have been marred by poor offensive line play the past couple of years, and they have a chance to turn it around in 2025. 

If you look at the Dolphins’ starting five at face value, it’s a pretty solid group. Aaron Brewer had a breakout 2024 season. Austin Jackson has become a reliable run blocker, and James Daniels is a sturdy all-around guard. 

Patrick Paul has all the skills of a long-term starting tackle and had an excellent camp. Savaiinaea had an inconsistent preseason, but the baseline traits of an effective player are clearly present. 

The Dolphins have five good players up front. They’re not a dominant group with stars, but this isn’t like the Dolphins’ offensive lines of the past. Miami legitimately invested in this group, including two second-round picks, two multi-year free agent deals, and a first-round pick. 

Now, this is a bold prediction because of all the question marks that come with this group. Daniels is coming off a torn Achilles, and Jackson has an extensive injury history, including the one that’s kept him out for most of the preseason. 

While Paul and Savaiinaea both clearly have the traits of NFL starters, they’re unproven players who will likely have some peaks and valleys in their performances this season. 

Those question marks are fair to bring up, but this is the most well-rounded group Miami has had up front in a few years.