It comes as no surprise, but NFL experts aren’t high on the Miami Dolphins‘ chances this season.
The team cleaned house after last year’s 7-10 finish, their second straight losing season. Franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was cut with a record amount of dead money, former star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was released after a horrifying knee injury early in the season, and other star wideout Jaylen Waddle was traded before the NFL draft. The Dolphins parted ways with several defensive leaders too, including edge rusher Bradley Chubb and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
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New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan signed a prized free-agent QB in Malik Willis and made a whomping 13 picks in April’s draft, but it will take time for the new unit to round into shape for another push for Miami’s first playoff win since 2000 and its first Super Bowl appearance since 1984. Just about every power ranking of NFL teams has the Dolphins near the bottom, and the latest from ESPN puts them in dead last.
Since ESPN’s last look across the league after the Super Bowl, the Dolphins have fallen from 29th to 32nd. An impressive draft landed the Cleveland Browns tackle Spencer Fano and promising receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, leading to their climb from last in February over the New York Jets into 30th.
Miami addressed their biggest issues in the draft, especially on the offensive line, Marcel Louis-Jacque wrote in ESPN’s power rankings. Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor, the No. 12 overall pick, is expected to play guard for Miami, while sixth-round pick DJ Campbell and undrafted free agent Jamaree Salyer will compete with Jonah Savaiinaea, a second-round pick last year, for the starting right guard position.
“Miami spent first- and sixth-round picks on Kadyn Proctor and DJ Campbell, respectively, adding physicality and depth to an offensive line that needed both,” Louis-Jacque wrote. “… Proctor played tackle at Alabama, so he could be a long-term replacement for Austin Jackson. However, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said the team plans to play Proctor at left guard in 2026. The Dolphins want to rely on the run next season, and they’ve operated as such through free agency and the draft.”
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The Dolphins spent six picks on the defense, starting with cornerback Chris Johnson and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who won every major defensive award in college football last season. They also scooped up potential replacements for Hill and Waddle, adding Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas and Louisville’s Chris Bell.
ESPN is far from the only site to list the Dolphins among the worst teams in the league in their post-draft power rankings. Here’s a look at what other prominent NFL experts have said:
NFL.com ranked Miami 30th: “One pick after another, I kept thinking Miami was putting in quality work over the weekend,” wrote Eric Edholm. “Normally, I’d question the wisdom of stockpiling 13 selections in a draft that few teams were excited about, but I think the Dolphins were finding treasure where others only saw trash. And you really can’t gripe about much of what they did. At the very least, the Fins laid a foundation to help fill out a roster that has been bloodletting for some time now. Not all 13 of these guys are going to go on to long NFL careers, and the Kadyn Proctor debate — were there better options? — has merit, but I think more than half of Miami’s picks have a good chance to raise this team’s floor. A really nice start to the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley era, I think.”
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Fox Sports ranked them 31st: “Their two first-round picks were good (OT Kadyn Proctor at 12, CB Chris Johnson at 27) and will help, but they need to get QB Malik Willis some playmakers,” wrote Ralph Vacchiano. “Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas was way too much of a reach in the third to fill the departed Jaylen Waddle’s shoes.”
CBS Sports also has the Dolphins 31st: “The rebuild is in full force,” Pete Prisco wrote. “I loved that they did it in the draft. This new regime appears to know what it is doing.”
Sports Illustrated does as well: “The Dolphins succeeded in the draft, insofar as they could not fail,” Conor Orr wrote. “The lack of talent on the roster was so pronounced that any pick would have made sense for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Swinging at Kadyn Proctor was the right move both tonally and strategically for a team that lacked the necessary grit and toughness to execute former head coach Mike McDaniel’s vision.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins come in last in new ESPN NFL power rankings
