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It’s officially preseason time in the NFL, and with it, plenty of speculation about the depth graphics. Teams and their PR teams are only fueling the fire by posting unofficial depth charts that typically receive little to no information from coaching teams. This means that what we see on these unofficial depth maps has to be taken with a mountain of salt, especially since rookie contributors are often lower than their actual rankings, especially at the start of the preseason. By our own Josh Houtz, the first unofficial Miami Dolphins depth chart has been released.
Let’s take a look at each group of positions and see where they fit into some general expectations.
Strategist
No surprises here. Sophomore Tua Tagovailoa has performed very well in training and is set to make a jump this season. Seasoned veteran Jacoby Brissett is safe in second row and Reid Sinnett brings up the rear.
To come back
Again, no surprises. Myles Gaskin is ready to star in Miami when he’s healthy. Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed will assist in the situations (ie goal line and short distance work for Brown). Patrick Laird, Jordan Scarlett and seventh-round rookie pick Gerrid Doaks will need to show their mettle on special teams as they battle for fourth and possibly last place.
Wide receiver
This is where things get interesting. All of the Twitter Dolphins have been debating who will be able to secure Miami’s final wide receiver spots (and whether the team will retain six or seven receivers in total). Given the tradition of not supplanting established veterans by rookies on early unofficial depth charts, it’s no surprise that DeVante Parker, free agent signatory Will Fuller, and speedster Albert Wilson are among the first three at this post. The coaching staff are bred on Wilson and he would have been an absolute stallion in training camp practices.
Rookie sixth overall pick Jaylen Waddle has also shown up at training camp, and although he’s behind Wilson on the unofficial first depth draw, he’ll see as much, if not more playing time over the course of the season. of the regular season as the three wide in front of him. Beyond them, it looks like special team stars Jakeem Grant (All-Pro returner) and Mack Hollins (one of the league’s top shooters) are unofficially leading for fifth and sixth place.
Kirk Merritt, Robert Foster, and Isaiah Ford have all reportedly played highlights in practice and could push, while Lynn Bowden Jr.’s pedigree and ceiling certainly keep him in the mix. Considering how deep Miami is here, don’t be surprised if any of the roster’s bubble players are traded ahead of the regular season, perhaps for a tackle given Miami’s need for depth and the reported interest in the trade market at this position.
Tight end
It’s Mike Gesicki’s unity, no ifs, no buts about it. With third-round rookie pick Hunter Long sustaining a lower-body injury that required him to be taken off the training ground, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe are very likely to return as the main substitutes and contributors to Gesicki in tight sets. Cethan Carter, someone Miami signed on to a three-year, $ 8.7 million free agency contract in March, will likely complete the unit as a utility room in the back and on special teams.
Offensive line
2020 first-round pick Austin Jackson remains the left tackle starter, but everything changes from there. Second-round rookie pick Liam Eichenberg, a player many believed would take on the role of protecting Tagovailoa’s blind side on the right tackle, is the starter at left guard. Eichenberg was a constant presence at left tackle for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. 2019 third-round pick Michael Deiter is listed as the starting center despite signing veteran Matt Skura with Miami in free agency. Deiter’s departure would show a vote of confidence from the coaching staff in his development after a second campaign in which the former Wisconsin Badger played sparingly.
2020 second-round pick Robert Hunt moves inside right guard after an impressive second half of his rookie campaign on right tackle. Project analysts and media staff have predicted that Hunt’s cap is higher on guard. Longtime runner-up Jesse Davis, who is widely regarded as Miami’s most versatile offensive lineman, is listed as the right starting tackle.
2020 fourth-round pick Solomon Kindley is part of the 2nd team despite sometimes shining as a rookie. He’s likely Miami’s next man on the inside, and if the coaching staff feel comfortable paying Eichenberg on the right tackle, Kindley is likely to take over at left guard.
Defensive line
It’s my choice under the radar for the team’s deepest unit. 2020 second-round pick Raekwon Davis has played better and better with every successive game as a rookie and is one of my favorite sophomore defensive jump contenders throughout the NFL. Christian Wilkins is as stable as they come, and Emmanuel Ogbah represents one of Chris Grier’s best free agent signings in his tenure as chief executive. Zach Sieler, Adam Butler and John Jenkins have incredible depth on the 2nd team’s defensive line.
linebacker
Interestingly, the PR team decided to represent Miami’s base defense as nickel (five defensive backs), as few teams do on their depth charts. That said, Brian Flores changes his defensive lineup regularly, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Miami deploy five defensive backs more often than not. This depth table setup shows rookie first-round pick Jaelan Phillips playing for the 3rd team, but barring an injury I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on the pitch early and often. Benardrick McKinney appears to be in good shape again in practice as a running first player and Jerome Baker has just signed a very lucrative contract extension and is set to continue his role as the Miami defense leader for seasons to come.
By releasing Kyle Van Noy earlier this offseason, Miami is showing immense confidence in Andrew Van Ginkel, able to take another step forward in a flawless role. He is listed as the third and last linebacker on the first team. Duke Riley, Brennan Scarlett, Sam Eguavoen and Vince Beigel will compete for rotation spots on this unit.
corner half
Xavien Howard is back and all is well. With his restructured contract now in place, the reigning first team All Pro is expected to start at the border opposite Byron Jones. Free agent signatory Justin Coleman appears to have secured the starting spot from the Nickel Corner (for now). Nik Needham and 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene are the next players if injuries strike the starters. Undrafted rookie Trill Williams has impressed in camp and is a candidate for the practice squad if he doesn’t show up enough on special teams to make the initial roster of 53 players.
Security
Jevon Holland has played with the Team 1 unit in recent practice. His place with the 2nd team on this depth chart is probably a formality, although a strong rotation between veterans Jason McCourty and Eric Rowe, the 2020 third round pick Brandon Jones and Holland is to be expected depending on the clashes of the week. in Week. If Miami retains five sureties, Clayton Fejedelem should stay given his value in special teams.
Special teams
Status quo here. Sanders returns as a reliable Miami All-Pro kicker, free agent signing Michael Palardy would have done a great job in training camp, and Blake Ferguson returns as Miami’s long snapper. Jakeem Grant is listed as the team’s starting kick return and punt return (no surprise there), although it should be noted that if Grant is cut or traded given The deadlock at wide receiver, Waddle is listed as the next man in both places.
This article was written by the editor of the Phinsider, Justin Hier. For more on Justin, be sure to follow him on Twitter. @HierJustin.
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