The Miami Dolphins are 0-4, and part of the reason why is the fact that they are playing a significant number of young players with little or no experience. Through the first four weeks of the season, some players are starting to stand out.
Miami drafted 13 players in the 2026 draft. They also added another contributor as an undrafted free agent. Those players are taking key roles on both sides of the ball.
It isn't surprising that the Dolphins are losing, but the optics show they are getting better. Looking at the draft class and the one undrafted rookie, it's easy to see that this team is trending in the right direction.
Miami Dolphins rookie report shows a lot of positives heading into month two of the 2026 season
Trey Moore, Kyle Louis, D.J. Campbell
- These three players have not had an impact on the season thus far. Moore and Louis are on injured reserve, and Campbell has yet to take a snap, spending his time on the inactive list on game days.
Seydou Traore
- Not surprising given the current status of the Dolphins' tight end room, Traore has yet to take an offensive snap this season. He has, however, played 80% of the team's special teams snaps.
Chris Johnson
Johnson's debut has been full of mixed results. He hasn't made a huge singular impact, but he continues to get better as he settles down as the weeks have gone by. He has started every game so far this season and has registered 25 tackles, 11 of them solo. The hardest part about evaluating him is that he is being used both inside and on the boundary.
Kevin Coleman Jr.
A mid-round selection, Coleman is still acclimating to the NFL. He has only two receptions through the first four games, but his route running has looked good. He has been at the mercy of Malik Willis' vision of the field.
Chris Bell
The Dolphins' second receiver, taken in the third round, Bell, is still getting up to NFL-level condition. He is coming off an ACL injury that was surgically repaired last January. The Dolphins will continue to call his number, and he is proving that he can be a threat at this level, but his body of work still needs better tape. It will come as he moves in the right direction. He has five receptions for 92 yards.
Will Kacmarek
Kacmarek isn't going to stand out statistically. He has only two receptions for 18 yards, but he has been good as a blocker, which is his primary job in this offense. Kacmarek is giving the Dolphins a reason to be excited about his future. He has been what they wanted in terms of physicality.
Caleb Douglas
Douglas started out with a 94-yard opening-week performance, but an ankle injury in Week 2 has sidelined him since. He could miss his third game in Week 5, but the limited play has left fans wanting more. If he doesn't go against the Bengals, he will get an extra week to get healthy, as Miami will take their bye week in Week 6.
Michael Taaffe
Yes, Taaffe has blown some assignments, but he has a relentless pursuit and a positive attitude. He spends a lot of time rewatching game film to identify where he is making mistakes, and he doesn't make the same mistakes often. Over four weeks, he has a pass defended, 12 tackles, and an interception.
D.J. Herman
The Dolphins' undrafted rookie has only one reception this season, but his blocking has been fantastic and has improved week to week. Herman is making fans forget about Alec Ingold. There is no reason to believe he won't get better as the season progresses.
Kadyn Proctor
Proctor isn't going to put up stats, but he has been consistently good as a run blocker as well as in pass protection. Proctor has made some mental pre-snap mistakes, but that is to be expected given his inexperience. So far, the Dolphins look to have been right about taking him early in the draft.
Jacob Rodriguez
Rodriguez has been the gold standard for Jon-Eric Sullivan's first NFL draft. He has been explosive and is the best pure tackler on the Dolphins roster. Rodriguez continues to generate early DROY talk despite Miami's 0-4 start. He has become the unquestionable leader of the Dolphins defense.
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