The Miami Dolphins could be one of the surprise teams during this next 2026 season as they have a very exciting coach + QB tandem and a young talented roster. I have said countless times in other pieces that I have written that the Dolphins have the premier formula in terms of a head coach + QB tandem in the NFL. The Lamar Jackson caliber QB, i.e. the QB who can run like a defensive back or a skill position player but who can still throw it at an elite level, gives you another gear and perhaps an extra 10% or so in terms of a ceiling that not even the likes of Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, and so on give you. The Dolphins have an essential doppelganger of Lamar Jackson at QB in newly acquired Malik Willis. Malik Willis’ physical attributes are exactly on par with that of Jackson’s and in 2-3 games worth of snaps outside of his rookie season he has looked every bit as good as Jackson as well. The defensive mastermind head coach in the DeMeco Ryans/Mike Macdonald mold is the ideal type of head coach to be had in my estimation as well. As like I stated before in a previous piece the QB takes care of the offense and the coach can care of the defense. The Dolphins are hoping that newly hired head coach Jeff Hafley can be the next coach in the Mike Macdonald or DeMeco Ryans mold. I am optimistic that he can be as his track record as an NFL defensive coordinator is very similar to Ryans’ and Macdonald’s track record as defensive coordinators.
Pairing the dual threat QB who can not only throw at an elite level, but who can also run around as fast if not just as fast as any player on the field with the defensive mastermind level head coach is the ultimate head coach + QB formula for the following reasons. Many if not most teams who have the star QB, then proceed to pair him with the offensive minded head coach to squeeze the absolute most out of that QB and have his ceiling in a vacuum be just as high if not higher than that of any QB he is opposing. For instance, the Chiefs paired Patrick Mahomes with the offensive minded Andy Reid, the Bengals paired Joe Burrow with the offensive minded Zac Taylor, the Chargers paired Justin Herbert with the offensive minded Jim Harbaugh, and most recently the Bills moved off their defensive minded head coach and hired the offensive minded Joe Brady to pair with Josh Allen. But if you have the QB who already has a next gear to him that not even Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, etc. have, then his ceiling in a vacuum will be just as high if not higher than any QB he is opposing even without the offensive mastermind head coach. At that point getting the offensive minded head coach would not be necessary and then the team can prioritize the defensive side of the ball by getting the defensive mastermind head coach. The only three teams in the NFL who have QBs with the aforementioned next gear to them in the Commanders, Dolphins, and Ravens, all seem to agree with me, as all three teams have defensive minded head coaches. However, the Dolphins out of those three teams have the best rendition of that formula in my estimation because Lamar Jackson cannot be trusted in the playoffs for the Ravens, and Jayden Daniels easily feels like the least talented out of the three and just a lesser talented version of Lamar Jackson. Whereas Malik Willis feels just as talented as Lamar Jackson and does not have the concerns about performing in the postseason. The 2023 Ravens and the 2025 Commanders are proof of how electric this coaching and QB formula is. The 2023 Ravens were as dominant of an NFL team as I have ever seen with Lamar Jackson and now Seattle defensive mastermind head coach Mike Macdonald as his defensive coordinator at the time. The 2025 Commanders with Jayden Daniels paired with the defensive minded head coach Dan Quinn reached the Conference Championship game despite having one of the weakest overall rosters and Jayden Daniels being a rookie QB.
Dolphins’ fans should be excited because in my estimation the team has the premier head coach + QB tandem in the sport on paper. The only concerns with Miami are the youth of the team, the questionable roster in spots, along with how unproven Willis + Hafley are. From a roster standpoint, Miami has the talent it is just too young/unproven and perhaps they are not deep enough. However, if Miami correctly drafted the young players that they did draft they will likely take a while to come into their own but if Miami can still figure out a way to make the playoffs the young players will likely start to capture some of their prime form late into the season and heading into the playoffs and the Dolphins will be a handful.
On the offensive line, the Dolphins just have one proven veteran player in center Aaron Brewer who has emerged as one of the premier players at the position. Outside of that, the Dolphins have a ton of talent on the offensive line, but the young talent is far too unproven. 2024 2nd rounder left tackle Patrick Paul has shown promise in the NFL thus far but is too inconsistent. 2025 2nd rounder guard Jonah Savaiinaea had an abysmal rookie season and although he should take a leap going into year 2, he remains a big question mark after a poor rookie campaign. The Dolphins are planning on starting 2026 1st rounder Kadyn Proctor at guard after he played tackle throughout college. Him being a rookie and transitioning to playing guard now means Miami has more concerns on the offensive front. Former first round pick Austin Jackson is set to start at right tackle but is very inconsistent. For stretches, Jackson plays like a first-round pick but is far too inconsistent and looks like a backup from time to time. Miami clearly has the talent on the offensive line in having a star center set to start and having four former 1st or 2nd round picks set to start who have shown promise and/or whom the jury is still out on. However, Miami does not have much depth on the offensive front and perhaps the Dolphins should look into signing a proven available veteran such as Joel Bitonio, Taylor Decker, or Kevin Zeitler. This will allow one of the unproven and/or inconsistent young players to move to a backup role to increase Miami’s depth on the offensive front while also solidifying Miami’s starting offensive front.
The NFL is about having an identity and being specifically great and/or the best in areas. Miami is attempting to become perhaps the premier running team in the NFL led by the dual threat Willis who is among the fastest QBs in the sport as of now. They have not only done this by placing a large emphasis on the offensive line but by also emphasizing the running back position. The new Dolphins’ regime has re-signed superstar running back De’Von Achane who could be argued as perhaps the premier running back in the NFL. If this young offensive line plays to their potential with the dual threat Willis who on paper is just as good if not better in terms of running the ball as a QB than anyone in the sport along with De’Von Achane who is perhaps the best runner of the football in the sport, the Dolphins could certainly be the premier or at worst one of the premier running teams in the NFL next season. However, Miami lacks depth in that their current second-string QB cannot do much damage in the ground game, although they have a fast/athletic QB #3, but who cannot be trusted to consistently throw it as a late round pick rookie. They do not have much depth on their offensive front, and they do not have a high level #2 or #3 back to supplement Achane out of the backfield either.
The receiving core has been the Dolphins’ biggest concern this offseason and new general manager Jon Eric Sullivan addressed it quite heavily in the draft. The only potential strong suit of the Dolphins’ receiving core is tight end Greg Dulcich who Miami recently signed to an extension. But even then, he has looked very good but not great in limited snaps and still needs to prove it more on the field. The Dolphins drafted a tight end in the third round in the most recent draft to supplement Dulcich in the unit, but he will have his work cut out for him as a rookie. The Dolphins’ wide receiver unit as of now has an argument for being the worst wide receiver unit in the league. However, former 2nd rounder Tutu Atwell has looked strong for stretches in the NFL but has never had a chance to be a consistent WR1 or WR2 but will now have a chance to shine. Something similar could be said for former third rounder Jalen Tolbert who although has not shown much promise in the NFL was still drafted pretty highly and has never had a chance yet to take starter snaps. Former 2nd rounder Terrace Marshall Jr was in line to be potentially the next great LSU wide receiver in the mold of Odell Beckham Jr, Justin Jefferson, or Jamarr Chase. Marshall Jr has really underwhelmed in the NFL thus far struggling to even stay on a roster. However, he has still shown some promise and during his time on active NFL rosters he was placed in atrocious offensive situations with poor QB play in the Panthers and Raiders. Although I would not bet on it, he could still come into his own being drafted so highly and now finally getting a chance to play in a conducive situation for offensive players to thrive in. 2025 undrafted free agent Theo Wease Jr looked elite in very limited rookie snaps catching 6 balls in 2025. Although it is a very small sample size, he could emerge as a strong option for Miami in their wide out unit given the Dolphins’ need at the position. The Dolphins drafted three wide receivers in the 2026 draft, two of which were in the third round who will be expected to contribute immediately to the team in Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. Finally, offensive coordinator and new head coach Jeff Hafley have placed 2024 6th rounder Malik Washington as first on the depth chart as of now. This is despite Washington being drafted late in the 6th round and not showing much promise in the NFL thus far. Washington led all of college football in receptions during the 2023 season and perhaps the Miami coaching staff sees something in him to place him first on their wide receiver depth despite all the aforementioned talent that the Dolphins have in the unit. Miami’s wide receiver unit as of now is very questionable as of now and is amongst the most unproven/weakest in the NFL as of now. However, Miami certainly has what it takes to be at least a solid wide out unit during the 2026 season given all the promise I just pointed out the Dolphins have in the unit.
From an offensive perspective the Dolphins perhaps have the premier QB in the NFL on paper who very well could be Lamar Jackson but clutch. As Jackson has always been perhaps the most talented QB ever and the only reason he is not on a G.O.A.T trajectory is his postseason performance concerns. Malik Willis is a doppelganger of Jackson as a talent and has looked just as good on the field when he has had a chance to play. Willis could certainly be Lamar Jackson but clutch which could be the ultimate QB the NFL has perhaps ever seen. Bobby Slowik was a very underrated hire as the offensive coordinator of the team and if you read my article ranking all the offensive coordinators in the NFL, I had him as one of the top 10 offensive coordinators in the sport. As the job Slowik pulled off with the Texans during the 2023 season allowing C.J Stroud to have amongst the greatest rookie QB seasons ever despite Houston having subpar offensive personnel, a rookie defensive minded head coach, along with Slowik being a rookie coordinator as well, ranks among the better if not among the best coordinating jobs in recent memory. The Dolphins have one of the most talented offensive lines led by one of the premier starting centers and four former first or second rounders set to start as well. It is just a matter of whether the young/unproven players can come into their own, if they do Miami could have one of the premier offensive lines in the sport. The Dolphins have a good if not a very good tight end in Greg Dulcich who could emerge as a star at the position and have drafted a rookie in the third round in 2026 to supplement him at the position. The Dolphins have a running back in De’Von Achane who could certainly be argued as the premier running back in the NFL. Miami at least has some viable talent behind him and from an optimistic standpoint could have solid depth at running back as well. The wide receiver unit is the biggest concern for perhaps the whole Miami team, but as I alluded to before they could have a solid unit but likely not more than that.
If Malik Willis ends up being just as good or nearly as good as advertised, if Bobby Slowik is the real deal at offensive coordinator, if the young players in the receiving core and on the offensive line play to their potential. I do not know if there is a team in the AFC or in the NFL that I would favor over the Dolphins from an offensive standpoint to be quite frank. As Miami would be perhaps the best running team in the NFL that could still throw the ball at a well above average clip. The Detroit Lions, who recently with Dan Campbell/Jared Goff have shown me that they can be not just great but historically great on offense would be the only team in the NFL who might have a higher ceiling on offense if Miami plays to their offensive potential. However, the Dolphins have not proven anything on offense yet, all this hype is currently just on paper, and there are a lot of “ifs” I alluded to in regards to Miami offensively, and the Dolphins must prove it on the field.
On the defensive side of things, the Dolphins are led by new defensive minded head coach Jeff Hafley who has brought over his defensive assistant Sean Duggan with both Boston College and the Packers to serve as his defensive coordinator. With Hafley being a rookie head coach and Duggan being a rookie coordinator the two will likely see their growing pains. However, Hafley was a strong hire in my estimation and is in line to be the next DeMeco Ryans or Mike Macdonald level head coach if the Dolphins hired the right man. Hafley also has a lengthy history of working with his defensive assistant in Sean Duggan and the chemistry that the two have might loom large.
The personnel that the Dolphins have on the defensive side of things is concerning as of now more-so than the youth of the defensive coaching staff. From a front seven standpoint the Dolphins have a very talented front seven that in terms of raw talent could rank among the better if not the best units next season. If young former 1st/2nd rounders in Jacob Rodriguez, Kenneth Grant, and Chop Robinson come into their own, Miami could have among the premier front sevens in the sport in 2026.
The secondary is the far bigger concern for the Dolphins and just like the wide receiver unit of the team, they have some talent, but the talent is far too unproven and as of now the unit ranks amongst the weakest in the NFL. The Dolphins drafted cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round of the 2026 draft who is set to start, and he could be a very strong option for the Dolphins if he was the right selection and if he can start to come into his own as a rookie. Former 2nd rounder Lonnie Johnson Jr was drafted very highly and has shown that he was indeed worthy of being taken so high from time to time but has been far too inconsistent. The Dolphins will need him to be on his A game as he is in line to start at safety for a thin/questionable secondary. At the other safety spot 2025 5th rounder Dante Trader Jr is set to start for Miami coming off a solid rookie season, Trader Jr can be a solid starter for Miami and for the sake of the Dolphins could maybe be more than that. The likes of former undrafted free agent Storm Duck and Marco Wilson who was taken in the 4th round not too long ago, but who has underwhelmed in the NFL as of now round out Miami’s current starting secondary. Duck and Wilson are likely better suited as backups and Miami has a few talented young corners on the roster who could replace them. The currently listed Dolphins’ starting secondary is perhaps the weakest in the league as of now. Johnson is talented but will be a rookie next season and will likely see his growing pains. The two listed starting safeties have question marks associated with them and will both be likely just solid players at best. While the remaining two listed starting players in Miami’s backend do not feel like starters or even strong backups as of now.
The current reserve unit of the Dolphins’ secondary could be perhaps the largest thing that dictates how strong of a team they are next season. Miami has multiple young/unproven players with a ton of potential currently listed as reserves in their secondary who could step in as starters with Miami’s current starting secondary having more question marks than perhaps any in the NFL. 2023 second rounder cornerback Juju Brents looked elite in limited snaps outside of his rookie season and outside of his second season where he barely played. Given his high draft selection and his elite play in limited snaps when he has had time to adjust to the NFL, Brents could emerge as a strong starter for Miami in the back end of their defense. Former undrafted free agent AJ Green III looked elite in limited action when he first took NFL snaps although looking poor since. Given the electric start to his NFL career and Miami’s need at corner, he could also emerge as a starter for Miami’s backend. Safety Zayne Anderson in very limited snaps playing under Hafley in Green Bay also looked elite and could also emerge as a strong option for Miami. While 2026 fifth rounder Michael Taafe at safety might end up being the steal of the draft as he received first team All-SEC and first team All-American honors playing at Texas last season, being recognized as perhaps the premier safety in all of college football last season.
Just like the wide receiver unit for the Dolphins, Miami’s backend defense as of now is amongst the most questionable in the sport. However, Miami has what it takes in my estimation to have a very good if not an elite backend secondary next season. The potential duo of 1st rounder Chris Johnson and 2nd rounder Juju Brents could be lethal if both players play to their draft potential. The combination of Zayne Anderson at safety who has looked elite in limited NFL snaps along with Michael Taafe who was perhaps the best safety in all of college football this past season could also be elite. The remaining starting nickelback spot would remain a question mark however, but AJ Green III has looked elite for stretches although being far too inconsistent and could step in and do a good job. From a depth standpoint, Miami would have multiple safeties in Dante Trader Jr and Lonnie Johnson who could be high end caliber backups although Miami would lack depth at corner. How the secondary ends up performing next season for the Dolphins could potentially dictate the season for Miami in all honesty. As the currently listed starting unit is amongst the worst in the league as of now, but if young players play to their potential, the unit could somehow be elite next season.
The Dolphins have decent defensive personnel as of now and if young players come into their own and play to their potential, they could have borderline elite to elite defensive personnel. If Jeff Hafley was the right hire as a head coach with a defensive background, there is no reason that Miami should not have an above average defense at worst next season. If the young players come into their own, they could certainly have an elite defense that could rank up there with any in the sport.
In totality, the Dolphins have perhaps the highest ceiling of any team in the NFL next season. As on paper they have the best head coach + QB combination in my estimation and a very talented roster that fits the coach + QB combination they have. Miami will be at worst one of the premier running teams in the sport next season and very well could be the best one. If the young talent in Miami’s offensive line and receiving core can come into their own, Miami would be just as good if not better on offense than any team in the sport. Likewise, if Miami’s questionable but talented secondary as of now can play to their potential, then Miami with an already very good to great front seven could also have an elite defense. This Miami team on paper is a Super Bowl threat by any stretch, but it is all on paper for now and the coach/QB/roster are all very unproven. A realistic best case scenario for the Dolphins would be going 10-7 or 11-6, sneaking into the playoffs on a hot streak as the young team starts to catch their stride late into the season, and then having the ability as a red hot young team with a ceiling that is just as high if not higher than any in the sport to go on a Super Bowl run on the road. As stated previously, the 2023 Ravens were likely the most dominant team in the past 15 years in the NFL if not ever. Before of course Lamar Jackson folded come playoff time, this Dolphins’ team has the ability to be the better version of that team as Malik Willis does not have the big game performance concerns of Jackson. If Miami plays to that potential and can overcome their youth, then Miami would be perhaps the biggest threat to reach the Super Bowl coming out of the AFC.
