What Dolphins Coaches Want from the Rookies

Much like the other 31 teams in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are approaching the first game of the 2025 NFL season with a team that contains rookie players who are expected to produce.

Though not every rookie on the Dolphins team is set to contribute in a major way, there are a select few who already have earned starting roles based on their performances through training camp and preseason.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Dolphins have Jonah Savaiinaea, who is set as the team's starting left guard, and running back Ollie Gordon II, who should see a sizable workload as the direct backup for De'Von Achane.

Considering the injuries at the running back position, expect to see plenty of Gordon on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Patrick Paul is also the starting left tackle for the upcoming season. Paul is not technically a rookie, but his three starts in 2024 aren't enough to make him a seasoned veteran just yet.

Rookies and young players can often face deep pressure to perform, especially given their positions on the team. For Savaiinaea and Paul, they have arguably the most important responsibility: protecting Tua Tagovailoa.

For Dolphins coaches, part of the job heading into a new season entails, along with teaching and X's and O's, helping guide the younger players in learning and growing even when mistakes are made.

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who has over 16 years of experience coaching in the NFL, understands the urgency of the moment for these young players, but has reminded them that their work ethic has gotten them to the professional level.

“I think it's ultimately how do you go about each day," he told reporters this week. "If you're able to put yourself mentally in that head space and everything you do that's like the game, you're stealing game reps every day, whether it's a walk-through, whether it's in the practice time, whether it's preseason time."

"Stealing reps" is a good way to look at not only making it to the NFL, but also working extremely hard to land a starting position.

"You can't re-create the game, but you can re-create the sense of urgency to the moment. I think that our guys have really done a good job with that, and then ultimately, it's relying on each other and relying on your training, then when you go out there, you react to what you see," he said. "You try and limit thinking; you’re trying to make it to a reaction, so that's how you can get the best out of guys.”

On defense, the Dolphins have rookie defensive tackles Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, along with cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and safety Dante Trader Jr.

Grant and Phillips should get plenty of playing time as the direct backups to Zach Sieler and Benito Jones. Marshall may be called on to start, but the jury is still out on the plan for the secondary.

For Grant, he is ready for to show what he can do on the field.

“I’m real excited to be honest," Grant said. "I’m not the type to get nervous, but I’m a little nervous but not really. It’s just a game I’ve played since I was younger. I’m real excited, real excited to get out there with the guys and show what we’ve got.”

WEAVER'S OWN EXPERIENCE

As a former NFL player for the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver understands more than most about the mental errors and mistakes that can be made in the moment, and he shared a specific story when he got to start for legendary defensive coach Rex Ryan.

"I had a high ankle sprain and fortunately Rex Ryan and that staff still saw something in me and started me," Weaver said. "So he calls this Sam- Mike pressure. I’m like, ‘All right, yeah my number is called. I’m going to jam inside, and I’m going to make a play.’ Which I did, awesome ... First career NFL play. But I wasn’t to the side of the pressure. It was a mental (mistake). So it was one of those things like, ‘No, no, no, ‘Weave’ what are you doing… Yes, good job ‘Weave.’ Good job.’ "

Weaver's story was about understanding that, despite all the training and the moment, mistakes will happen, and it is about learning and moving on quickly from those mistakes.

"That’s going to happen with rookies. They are going to make some rookie mistakes and we understand that. We’re going to have live through it," he added. "I think collectively as a group we have to understand that we can’t get frustrated with that and we have to understand they’re only going to continue to get better the more they’re exposed."

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