The Miami Dolphins will start their rookie mini camp this week on May 8th. It's the first time since the NFL Draft that the rookie selections and the undrafted free agents will be on the field together.
For Dolphins fans, it's a small consolation for the lack of real football to watch. It opens the final stretch of OTAs and minicamp sessions, which will eventually include veterans. Fans might be thrilled with the thought of an actual practice, but one local Miami beat writer threw ice-cold water on the expectations.
.@OmarKelly seems excited for #Dolphins rookie minicamp:
— Dolphins Collective (@DolphinsHMA) May 4, 2026
‘I mean rookie camp is the most useless piece of time & experience I’ve ever experienced in my life.’ 😅#PhinsUp @DouglieDoWrong @PoupartNFL @TDSportsTalk
FULL SHOW: https://t.co/SfCCiwl7VN pic.twitter.com/mhIwlF1AIs
Miami Dolphins rookie mini camp is nothing but a dress rehersal for real practices
Miami Herald's Omar Kelly said that most of the sessions would be nothing more than a way to familiarize the rookies with the facility. In other words, it's more of a tour and a fitting than anything else. The rookies, per Kelly, will get sized for cleats, get a bunch of Dolphins merch, and walk around the fields and facility.
It shouldn't be a surprise considering no one wants a rookie injured for no reason.
"This is where we meet, let's size you up for pads, let's size you up for cleats. Here are some housing people, we're going to put you in temporary housing for training camp."
There will be workouts, just not for the rookies. The Dolphins have invited players to the facility to try out. That means they will run drills, take physicals, and hope to impress a coach enough to warrant a camp contract.
For Dolphins fans hoping to see glimpses of Jacob Rodriguez running through a blocking bag, or one of their WRs stretching the field, it doesn't sound like that is going to happen this time around.
OTAs will kick off more of the real work. Veterans were in the building the week of the draft. Everyone will return on May 18th and 19th for a quick two days of training, then will be back on the 21st, 26th-27th, and again in early June.
The only mandatory camp on the calendar is from June 2nd to the 4th. Miami will then break after the voluntary June 11th OTA until training camp begins in late July.
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