Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley may have the toughest job in the NFL this coming season. Not that the Fins are totally bereft of talent, but Hafley's running mate, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, purged the roster of most of Miami's core veterans in favor of a radical youth movement.
Can Hafley get the overhauled Dolphins up to speed fast enough to avoid contending for the No. 1 overall pick in the next NFL Draft? Or is he set up to fail to such a severe degree that owner Stephen Ross won't give him as long a leash as many assume?
We'll all find out together soon enough. Before we get to what actually happens in Week 1 and beyond, though, there are some select questions Hafley should be pressed on before the real job commences in earnest.
Miami Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley must be prepared to answer these questions at training camp
What will Chris Johnson's role ultimately be?
It's all well and good that the Dolphins feel comfortable throwing a lot at rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson. That said, can he actually thrive in his maiden pro campaign, juggling boundary and slot cornerback duties?
Johnson is cross-training on the perimeter and as a nickelback. To me, it's more out of necessity than a track record of proof that Johnson can thrive at that latter spot.
If you disregard the oft-injured JuJu Brents, Miami doesn't have many other capable cornerbacks. In theory, Johnson's status as a late first-round pick makes him the CB1 by default.
There aren't many players on the roster who can credibly line up at slot corner, though. Minkah Fitzpatrick is no longer around. Jason Marshall Jr. is moving to the boundary, where he's most comfortable. Johnson could be shoehorned into that role by default, with Hafley deploying the likes of Brents and Marshall on the outside and hoping for the best.
The best move for Hafley is probably not throwing Johnson into the fire in the slot. If the rookie struggles there, the scrutiny on Hafley will be intense from the jump.
Can the offensive line gel well enough to protect Malik Willis?
I've written about how well the Dolphins are set up to keep their top-flight rushing attack rolling in 2026 thanks to their uber-athletic offensive line and Malik Willis' dual-threat playmaking. What I'm worried about is pass protection.
De'Von Achane and Willis could pile up a bunch of yards on the ground, but realistically, the Dolphins will be trailing a lot. They'll be forced into obvious passing situations. I'm not so sure the o-line can hold up consistently under those circumstances.
Last year's left guard, Jonah Savaiinaea, is moving to right guard, where he played more in college at Arizona. However, he was legit the worst guard in the sport last year. First-round pick Kadyn Proctor played left tackle at Alabama. Patrick Paul's presence kicks him inside to left guard, and while he should be a mauler in run blocking, his flaws in pass protection aren't going anywhere.
Willis has enough ability to escape and extend plays with his legs to offset some of the pressure he faces. Still, between a suspect receiving corps lacking difference-makers and an o-line that struggled to pass protect during the Mike McDaniel era, Hafley has something to worry about with this unit.
The best thing Hafley can do is uplift his defense so that the Dolphins can capitalize on their ideal run setup to play keep-away from opponents. That's about their only hope at a winning formula in 2026.
What exactly *does* a successful first season look like?
If Hafley can't match last year’s 7-10 mark, that'll be a disappointment. Y'all miss Mike McDaniel yet? Kidding! Kind of.
No matter how brutal the schedule, it’s like that iconic quote from ex-Dolphins exec and legendary coach Bill Parcells goes, "You are what your record says you are." If Hafley is such an upgrade and a revelation, why shouldn't he at least manage the bare minimum of going three games under .500?
If the Dolphins are so much better off with Hafley and Sullivan at the controls, and they know so much better than McDaniel and Grier did (implied in their decision to nuke the roster), why should we have lowered expectations? Go on, fellas. Work your Green Bay Southeast magic! Make this team a seven-game winner!
OK but really, a successful season would be a slight step down. Going 6-11 would be an achievement considering the Dolphins are underdogs in darn near every matchup.
We'll see if the small step backward precedes a great leap forward, or if, you know, the Dolphins way over-corrected by firing McDaniel and not simply giving him a better QB than Tua Tagovailoa.
Add us as a preferred source on Google