The Miami Dolphins are one of the NFL's most interesting teams. They may not be among the top contenders, but the range of potential outcomes in the eyes of analysts this summer ranges from a wild card berth to picking in the top five of next spring's 2026 NFL Draft.
Everyone has an opinion, and it will be up to head coach Mike McDaniel and several key talents to determine what direction this football team ultimately trends. It's a high-stakes season with the future of the entire organization seemingly on the line. Part of the perception around the Dolphins as a polarizing team is the unproven elements of several position rooms across the roster. Miami has remodeled the defensive tackle room around Zach Sieler, but the other key names in the room are mostly rookies.
How the team handles the transition away from Jonnu Smith at tight end opens more questions about what the Dolphins have at that position, even after bringing in Darren Waller. And, of course, the team's cornerback room is widely regarded as one of the weakest in football.
But with that unproven element at several spots up and down the roster comes something else: opportunity.
The Dolphins have had their fair share of undrafted free agents who seized opportunities in recent years. Their best cornerback on the roster, Kader Kohou, was undrafted out of Texas A&M Commerce in 20222. The Dolphins have formerly seen nickel Nik Needham, offensive guard Robert Jones, defensive tackle Benito Jones, and wide receiver Preston Williams claim meaningful roles for various amounts of time in Miami over the past several seasons — all signed as undrafted free agents over the years.
The team is also high on developmental in-line tight end Julian Hill, who is entering into his third year with the team as an undrafted free agent and they're assuredly hoping one of their collection of former UDFA corners hits this offseason between Ethan Bonner (2023) & Isaiah Johnson (2024). The question becomes who are the most likely hits from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Miami is not short on options.
Wide receivers Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas & Theo Wease Jr., Missouri
These two collected the highest guarantees from the Dolphins this spring. Both were offered $234,000 in guarantees, which should at a minimum guarantee both a spot on Miami's practice squad if they fail to secure a bottom of the wide receiver room 53-man spot. Miami should consider the top of their wide receiver room established between Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Malik Washington.
Does that leave one or two spots on a 53-man? Miami carried just four initially in 2024 before claiming Grant DuBose off of waivers to give them a fifth option. Both Armstrong and Wease Jr. are big-bodied receivers, which seems to have been a point of emphasis for the Dolphins this offseason. Will either bring enough physicality to warrant a special teams and blocking role by September?
Tight end Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech
Conyers is, comfortably, the biggest tight end on the roster. He's listed at 265 pounds after coming through the NFL Combine at 260. Julian Hill and Pharaoh Brown are the only other tight ends listed over 250 pounds — and Conyers comes with some unique versatility and receiving chops that any of the other "big" tight ends on the roster didn't have in college.
That includes Hill, Brown, and also second-year UDFA Hayden Rucci, an in-line mauler in his own right. Conyers isn't super explosive but he's good with the ball in his hands to force missed tackles and feels like he could be the perfect Mike McDaniel pet project after years of searching.
Cornerback BJ Adams, UCF
This candidate goes back to that initial word: Opportunity. Adams has a wide open cornerback room in front of him right now. 2023 Second-round draft choice Cam Smith isn't going to be handed anything. The rest of the group behind the aforementioned Kohou is young, inexperienced players or an aging, savvy vet in Artie Burns — he hasn't played significant snaps in years.
Adams has plus length and height but only sufficient speed and modest explosiveness — which means his instincts are going to have to accelerate rapidly to earn the gig.
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