When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, he was already an accomplished artist, but at one point in his life, he picked up a paintbrush for the first time. New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has been holding a brush for years, but the franchise is giving him a blank canvas.
Zach Sieler and Jordyn Brooks are the only proven players on the defensive side of the ball. Chop Robinson is still finding his way, and so are the rest of the players on the defense. Infused with new paints to work with, Hafley has a raw unit that he can build into a masterpiece.
If the Dolphins are going to succeed in the future, it will happen because of what Hafley and his coaching staff do now. Through one week of practice, fans are starting to see a different, more focused defense.
Jeff Hafley's Miami Dolphins defense is filled with raw developmental talent that can't be overlooked
When Jon-Eric Sullivan conducted his first draft as a general manager, he hit on most of his picks. Those players have what the Dolphins want: Talent, leadership, and physical toughness. Hafley will have to take them to the next level.
It's taken just one week to get a better idea of how these players are all fitting together. For starters, they have already bought into Hafley's system, and it's paying off.
- Chop Robinson - Has been nearly unstoppable off the edge
- Jordyn Brooks - The veteran leader isn't slowing down
- Jacob Rodriguez - Already getting first team reps and causing turnovers
- Chris Johnson - Showing he is the best CB on the roster
- Kenneth Grant - Looks head-and-shoulders better than his rookie season
- Jordany Phillips - Making plays early in one-on-one and team drills
- Tyrel Dodson - Making Hafley find a way to get all three LBs on the field together
- Kyle Louis - Starting to make plays and find his niche
- Dante Trader - Emerged as the leader in the deep secondary
- Michael Taafe - The rookie is getting top reps and making plays
There is so much to like about what the Dolphins have done this offseason. They jettisoned bad contracts, knowing they could not replace the talent immediately. Instead, they identified the players who fit the image of what they want to achieve.
It was a smart move to get rid of those deals. It set them up for a better financial future. It gives them an opportunity to attack free agency next year and the year after.
Mike Jones of The Athletic asked the question of how Hafley will make up for a lack of proven talent. The answer? By developing them. Hafley doesn't have proven options outside of Sieler and Brooks. To a lesser degree, he has Chop Robinson, but every other player is either new or was drafted in 2025.
Hafley doesn't have to make this defense great this season. There will be hard knocks and a lot of mistakes, but the talent is there. Every professional athlete is unproven until they actually prove to be otherwise.
Unlike many teams that undergo coaching changes, Hafley is taking over a roster that was gutted to the core, but the trade-off is that he doesn't have to undo most of the previous regime's mistakes. So far in camp, the additions to the roster are paying off, but more importantly, the holdover veterans are getting better.
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