Dolphins' Rebuild Starts With One Lingering Question

It’s almost time for the new-look Miami Dolphins to begin training camp.

Gone are many familiar names, such as Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

In their place will be several young players Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley hopes to develop into potential stars.

With training camp on the horizon, The Ringer’s Diante Lee outlined the biggest question facing each of the NFL's 32 teams. For the Dolphins, it is simple: Who will step up in the first year of their rebuild?

“There are currently 23 rookies on the Dolphins’ training camp roster, and Miami will need about half of those guys to be legitimate contributors in the regular season,” Lee wrote.

“With so much youth on this team (as well as a first-year head coach in Jeff Hafley), this year is probably going to be messy at times. But having so much youth could make for one of the most competitive training camps in the league. The Dolphins drafted three receivers, two linebackers, two tight ends, and two edge rushers, a signal that there are open competitions all over the roster. Preseason games and training camp practices will give us some good insight on which first-year players are ahead of the curve.”

Willis gets one more shot to prove it

Miami has to hope Malik Willis, who signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract in March, will be among its best players during training camp. He spent the previous two seasons with the Green Bay Packers backing up Jordan Love after spending his first two NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he largely struggled.

The last time he made a start, Willis was tremendous after filling in for Love. He passed for 288 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns in a December loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Now, Willis will get another chance to prove he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Willis will have to do it without a receiving corps that lacks a proven No. 1 option. Malik Washington, Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert are expected to be the Dolphins' starting receivers. That could mean more of the offensive load falls on Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane, who signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with Miami during the offseason.

The Dolphins' defense has also undergone plenty of transition. However, they still have Jordyn Brooks, who just inked a three-year, $51.3 million contract extension. Miami will also need defensive tackle Kenneth Grant to take another step forward, while rookies Chris Johnson and Jacob Rodriguez must become immediate contributors in the defensive back seven.

In the first year of a rebuild, establishing a culture and developing young players may be more important than the Dolphins' win-loss record. If Miami finds future stars, the results will eventually take care of themselves.