The 2027 Miami Dolphins Could Look Very Different

Jacksonville is projected to be about $12 million over the cap in 2027, and if a deal for the former sixth-rounder doesn’t get done, I would imagine Miami would be a prime landing spot.

Another option is Colts wideout Josh Downs, who caught 68 passes for almost 900 yards last season but has been slowed by Indy’s offensive ineptitude through the air so far in 2026. The brother of Dallas safety Caleb, he won’t turn 26 until the start of next season.

Although there are some off-field issues dating back to his days at LSU, when he was, in his own words, “a problem gambler”, 24-year-old Kayshon Boutte was excellent for New England last season during their Super Bowl run. Despite being traded to Houston just before the season, he feels like a one-year rental for the Texans, especially after the trade for Marvin Harrison Jr.

At tight end, the Dolphins have struggled for traction. Rookie Will Kacmarek has done a fine job as a blocker, both in-line and in space, but he needs a proper receiving complement, and that, alas, isn’t free-agent-to-be Greg Dulcich. The 2027 FA class has a lot of veterans, including Travis Kelce, Evan Engram, T.J. Hockenson, Mo Alie-Cox, Austin Hooper and Dallas Goedert.

But the jewel in the crown is Detroit’s Sam LaPorta, who will have just turned 26. And he isn’t simply the best tight end potentially available. He’s one of the best in the NFL, full stop. If not the Lions star, then Rams TE Davis Allen, at just 26, has some upside, whilst Luke Musgrave has struggled with injury but was drafted before Green Bay took Tucker Kraft. Carolina’s Tommy Tremble is also just 26.

However, LaPorta would give Miami something special at the position: a seam stretcher with Pro Bowl-plus upside. ESPN recently reported that he and the Lions had “cut off contract extension talks” after failing to come to an agreement in the first four weeks of the season.

So imagine an offense with Pat Paul, Kadyn Proctor, Aaron Brewer, Ollie Gordon, De’Von Achane, Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, Puka Nacua, Jeremiah Smith, Malik Washington, Sam LaPorta and Will Kacmarek helping Malik Willis.

Looks pretty good pretty quickly.

On defense, it’s a similar story. Miami needs help at edge and, much like receiver, there’s some real quality here. Let’s start with one of the youngest players potentially available, and one of the most underrated pass rushers in the NFL: Tuli Tuipulotu of the Chargers, who won’t turn 25 until the opening week of the 2027 season. The former second-round pick out of USC had 13 sacks last season, and although he’s off to a slower start this year numbers-wise, his pressure percentage of 17.4 is eighth overall in the league.

A former fifth overall pick of the Giants, Kayvon Thibodeaux had 17 sacks in 2023 and ’24 but has struggled since then, and a change of scenery could be perfect for him. Two slightly older prospects well worth considering are Tampa’s YaYa Diaby, who turns 28 in May, and Rams stud Byron Young, who’ll turn 29 just before the draft. Diaby has had 7.5, 4, and 7.5 sacks over the last three seasons and is stout against the run, while Young has recorded 8, 7.5, and 12 sacks over the same span and has 3.5 already in 2026. Age will be a factor, but both have been consistently good since entering the league.

On the surface, they seem pretty set at defensive tackle given the investment in the 2025 draft, but if Kenneth Grant fails to train on and Zach Sieler departs — there is a potential out on his contract after the season — then the group needs help. Eagles DT Moro Ojomo is the next breakout star on that defensive unit that Howie Roseman won’t be able to pay, (followed two years later by edge Jalyx Hunt). Ojomo is cat-quick, long, and powerful, with a motor that never seems to stop.

The secondary is the other area that needs an injection of talent, although both Chris Johnson and JuJu Brents have played well at times at corner, especially recently, and Michael Taaffe and Dante Trader have shown they’re solid pieces at safety. Brents is a free agent, and if he can stay healthy — which has been an issue for him during his career — he’s deserving of a longer contract.

What Miami does with Johnson moving forward will matter in free agency. Do they see him as a guy who can keep playing outside inside, as he has been doing, or would they rather he play on the boundary and employ a full-time nickel? If so, one of the league’s best, Denver’s Ja’Quan McMillian, is out of contract at the end of the year and has just turned 26.

Last year, Arizona’s Garrett Williams tore his Achilles tendon, removing another of the game’s best nickel options. He’s back on the field this year and made his debut in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers. As the primary fifth DB in almost 40 career games, Williams carries a lot of responsibility in defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ unit. The former Syracuse standout is also a year younger than McMillian, having just turned 25.

Elsewhere at corner in FA, you will have a revitalized Tariq Woolen, 27; Carrington Valentine, Jeff Hafley’s former #1 CB in Green Bay, who is just 25; and Denver’s Riley Moss, who turns 27 next March. All could be seen as viable options.

At safety, the biggest name is Detroit’s Brian Branch, who, like Williams, suffered a torn Achilles in early December but is expected back soon. He’s been such a versatile piece for the Lions since being drafted, able to toggle from single-high on the roof of the defense to a more well-trodden nickel/safety hybrid. At 24, he’s the sort of movable matchup stud-piece Hafley will undoubtedly admire. Bengals pair Jordan Battle and Dax Hill are nearly 26 and just 2,6, respectively, and Hill can do a little of everything, having started at safety, boundary corner and nickel. Atlanta All-Pro Jessie Bates will be 30 before next season but has shown little sign of slowing down. He would be a gamble for Sullivan because of his age, but he also offers the sort of maturity and experience that the unit lacks.

There are a lot of names there and a lot of potential financial investment.

Much like the offensive possibilities I mentioned, you could also see a defense that has Phillips and Grant inside, with Chop Robinson and Tuli Tuipulotu on the edge. And then a secondary containing Brents, Johnson and Dax Hill at corner, with Brian Branch, Taaffe and Trader at safety. Or perhaps Phillips, Grant and Ojomo inside, with Chop Robinson and Tuli Tuipulotu on the edge.

Then a secondary with Brents, Johnson, and Dax Hill at corner, with Taaffe, Trader, and Jordan Battle at safety. And I understand this isn’t Madden and a lot of this is hypothetical. But significant surgery is happening soon, and Miami will be front and center for some really good FA talent.

What’s so fascinating about the Dolphins is that, apart from DJ Campbell and the injured duo of Trey Moore and Kyle Louis, this rookie class is getting an extraordinary amount of playing time. And that experience will be invaluable next season. You’ll be looking at guys like Proctor, Johnson, Rodriguez, and Taaffe, who will get 700 or 800 snaps each as rookies. Sprinkle a little free agent gold dust, and this team could look very different, very quickly.

Even two big investments on either side of the balt would fundamentally change how this team looks moving forward.

And that’s the point. For all the struggles, all the losses, and all the frustration, this franchise isn’t nearly as far away as it looks.

The vision is absolutely there. Can they carry it out?