Five Candidates for 'Upward Ascension of Development'

With nearly half the team entering free agency, the Miami Dolphins executed a soft roster reset this offseason. While the franchise’s 16 highest cap hits are returning players, head coach Mike McDaniel envisions a rising supporting cast that will not shy away from the spotlight when it matters most.

“When I talk about the vision that I have for our team in 2025, that includes players that are on the upward ascension of development, players that I think that we can further develop and that can contribute to a culture of a team-first mentality that wins down the stretch of the season,” McDaniel said at the owners meetings.

The Dolphins reached the playoffs two of the past three seasons on the strength of stars like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey. However, late-season struggles have been a recurring theme of the McDaniel era.

Ending Miami’s 25-year playoff win drought will require more than just star power. A handful of players— some returning, some new — have a path to becoming impact players on the 2025 Dolphins.

Running Back Jaylen Wright

We saw the potential of McDaniel’s rushing attack in 2023 when Raheem Mostert led the league in rushing touchdowns and De’Von Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie. Miami entered last season with a "three-headed monster" at running back after drafting Wright in the fourth round. However, the rushing offense dropped to 21st, averaging just over 105 yards per game.

Instead of a balanced attack, Achane carried the ball 203 times last season, more than double any other back on the team. On top of that, he caught 78 of 87 targets as Miami’s third receiving option. 

The Dolphins traded a future third-round pick to select Wright number 120 overall last year, and he now has a clear path to becoming the No. 2 option, with Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. no longer in the equation. Despite averaging just 3.7 yards per carry on 68 attempts as a rookie, Wright landed in the NFL after rushing for 1,013 yards on 137 carries as a junior at Tennessee. 

Safety Ashtyn Davis

The safety position is one of the clearest examples of Miami's free agency strategy.

Last season, the franchise added Jordan Poyer, who had played 155 games over 12 seasons, early in free agency and never looked back. Relying on a 33-year-old to start 16 games, Poyer missed 10 tackles, allowed three touchdowns, and was penalized three times, according to PFF.

In a shift in approach, Miami and Davis, 28, agreed to a contract that’s worth less than 1 percent of the salary cap — and Miami is expected to continue adding at safety.

Davis played 69 games in his career but started just 22 over the last five seasons with the Jets. Speaking of upward ascension, the 2020 third-round pick was a turnover magnet with eight interceptions and three forced fumbles in his limited playing time. 

Returning to New York was unlikely as first-year coach Aaron Glenn is redesigning the roster. The Dolphins saw a low-risk gamble to see if Davis’s turnover instincts translate to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s scheme.

Cornerback Cam Smith

Sticking in the secondary, the Dolphins desperately need a starting cornerback across from Jalen Ramsey, and as a former second-round pick Smith will get his fair share of opportunities to secure the starting job in training camp.

He was available for 15 games as a rookie but couldn’t escape then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s doghouse, playing only 20 defensive snaps.

Smith was a greater part of Anthony Weaver’s plan last season but was limited to six games because of hamstring and shoulder injuries. When active, opposing quarterbacks completed 16 of 19 passes for 174 yards when targeting him in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.

Despite an uneasy start to his professional career, an offseason to recover and further master Anthony Weaver’s system could springboard Smith ahead of the cornerback competition entering his third season. 

Linebacker Willie Gay Jr.

No free agent addition embodies team-first mentality that wins down the stretch of the season like Gay, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs. He started 28 of 34 games over his final two seasons with Kansas City but seemed out of place last season with the Saints. 

Gay, 27, started only eight games for the first time since his rookie season, finishing the year with 28 tackles, three passes defended, and two sacks. He will account for just 0.4 percent of Miami’s salary cap, with the chance to get his career back on track after a shaky stint in New Orleans.

Jordyn Brooks played steadily last season, leading all Dolphins defenders with 1,039 snaps. Tyrel Dodson is back in the building on a two-year deal after leading the team with three interceptions in just eight games with the franchise. 

While the starting linebacker duo seems settled, remember that David Long Jr. entered last season as a team captain but was released after just eight games.

Gay doesn’t have to hit the ground running in Miami, but his Super Bowl pedigree stacks the deck for a defense preparing for all 17 games to matter.

Offensive lineman Larry Borom

Not every position can be addressed with a top draft pick or a high-priced free agent. Hoping to strike gold, Miami took a chance on a former fifth-round pick who has played fewer than 500 snaps in two of the last four seasons with the Chicago Bears.

Borom, 26, hit free agency after playing under five different offensive coordinators in just four seasons, including Chris Beatty, Thomas Brown and Shane Waldron last year.

Now in Miami, Borom sits behind projected starters Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson in a more stable environment, compared to his time with the Bears. Offensive coordinator Frank Smith joined the Dolphins in 2022, offensive line coach Butch Barry was hired the following offseason.

The Dolphins aren’t necessarily hoping he becomes an every-week starter, though that would be a bonus. Instead, they’re counting on him to help avoid last year’s scenario, where five different tackles were used by Week 15.

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