Miami Dolphins 2026 NFL Season Preview

The new regime wasn’t going to keep Tua Tagovailoa’s contract on the books, so when Miami released him, the new answer at quarterback, Malik Willis, came from — you guessed it — the Packers.

It’s not only about having the GM, coach and quarterback. The Dolphins want to pivot from the big free-agent contracts they were dishing out in recent offseasons for a build-through-the-draft approach. On the field, they want to establish physicality and toughness as core principles, veering from the speed and finesse of the McDaniel-led squads.

Offense

A team can still have electric speed while playing with physicality. It’ll be difficult to find a faster quarterback-running back tandem in the NFL than Willis and De’Von Achane. It’s unknown what exactly Bobby Slowik has in mind as he takes over as offensive coordinator, but Willis and Achane could form a fierce read-option tandem. Slowik comes from the same Shanahan coaching tree as McDaniel and Hafley, and one directive from Hafley is that he wants an offense that will establish the run. Achane will thrive off that, building on his 1,350-rushing-yard season and Pro Bowl appearance in 2025, especially when Miami runs outside-zone concepts to get him out into space. Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II can spell Achane to run between the tackles and punch the ball forward in short-yardage situations.

Willis, after two years in which he couldn’t cut it with the Tennessee Titans and two more spent learning behind Packers quarterback Jordan Love, gets his shot. His athleticism and elusiveness, combined with a big arm that can deliver the deep ball, give him a chance to succeed. Sullivan has seen his development over two seasons in Green Bay, and Hafley has referenced the tough looks Willis gave his defense on the scout team there.

Willis will have a limited receiving corps after the Dolphins released Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle. Tutu Atwell is small and speedy. Jalen Tolbert joins him as a 6-foot-1 target who can stretch the field and hopes to regain the form he showed in 2024 with the Dallas Cowboys. Malik Washington can work underneath routes out of the slot, and a trio of rookie draft picks — bigger-bodied third-rounders Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell and shifty slot receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. — should see opportunities.

Tight end Greg Dulcich experienced a late-season surge as a pass-catcher in the middle last year and can build off that in 2026. Miami selected a bulldozer of an in-line blocking tight end in Will Kacmarek in the third round.

The offensive line has two pillars in left tackle Patrick Paul and center Aaron Brewer, and Sullivan looked to add another with the infusion of the rare size (6-foot-7, 352) and speed of Kadyn Proctor, the first-round tackle out of Alabama who may start off as a tall guard.

Miami needs a better second season out of 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea, and a switch back to the right side, where he played in college, could help. Right tackle Austin Jackson needs to prove he can stay healthy after coming back on a restructured deal.

Defense

Hafley will want to base his unit out of more four-man fronts, a rarity for recent Dolphins defenses under Anthony Weaver, Vic Fangio, Josh Boyer and Brian Flores. Hafley will call defensive plays and brings with him a trusted assistant from Green Bay, Boston College and Ohio State, Sean Duggan, as his defensive coordinator.

The Dolphins are strongest in the middle, where All-Pro Jordyn Brooks, last year’s tackles leader in the NFL, ferociously cleans up everything from the Will linebacker position. The Dolphins bring back Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, last season’s starters, but drafting Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez brings intrigue to that dynamic, as Rodriguez is viewed as a future leader and green-dot helmet communicator from the Mike spot. That was Dodson’s job, and there are questions over whether all three could play together or if Dodson’s role will be diminished.

Hafley and Duggan also inherit a solid group of defensive tackles, though Zach Sieler might be losing a step on his pass rush after back-to-back 10-sack seasons in 2023 and ’24. Around him is a trio of second-year defensive tackles in Kenneth Grant, who needs his size-athleticism combination to flourish as a first-round pick; Jordan Phillips, who earned a starting role last year; and Zeek Biggers.

Chop Robinson, a 2024 first-round selection, must continue to affect the quarterback while improving at setting the edge against the run. He will put his hand on the ground after previously standing up almost exclusively. There’s a big opportunity for Josh Uche to reclaim his effectiveness from 2022, when he had 11.5 sacks as a New England Patriot.

Hafley has a background in coaching defensive backs, and he’ll need to develop a unit that has a lot of uncertainty. The Dolphins drafted cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round, and they like his coverage at all three levels while playing either on the boundary or as a nickel. Darrell Baker Jr. got starting experience in Tennessee, but he had a 124.1 passer rating against in 2025. He’ll vie for a spot with the likes of second-year cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., as well as Storm Duck and JuJu Brents, who are coming off injuries last season. Veterans Alex Austin and Marco Wilson will also compete for a roster spot.

Safety Dante Trader Jr. is cerebral for a second-year player, but Zayne Anderson is a special-teamer who has played defensively under Hafley in Green Bay. Meanwhile, the Dolphins drafted safety Michael Taaffe, who went from undersized walk-on to All-American at Texas, and veteran Lonnie Johnson Jr. is also in the mix.

Specialists

When Sullivan says he wants competition at every position, he’s not kidding. Riley Patterson, who made 27-of-29 field goals last year, has to beat out Zane Gonzalez, who has been with new special teams coordinator Chris Tabor at two previous stops. Bradley Pinion and Seth Vernon will duke it out for the punter job. Tucker Addington and Taybor Pepper are the options to gain the long-snapping role. As a returner, Washington would be the incumbent favorite, but the rookie Coleman will push him.

Final Analysis

The 2026 Dolphins embark on a rebuild. This team won’t be judged on wins and losses but on establishing the right culture for the future while preparing to be more competitive in free agency in 2027 (once the nearly $182 million dead cap hit is in the rear-view mirror) and stacking another draft class with the current group.