It was only a few years ago that the Miami Dolphins were one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Rebuilds do that. It becomes critical to maintain a mix of youth and older veterans to fill out a roster.
Miami didn't find the success they were hoping for when they gutted and reshaped the roster in 2019. Today, there are just as many question marks as there were over the years following those big changes.
Like every NFL team, there is an ebb and flow to how a roster is made. As younger players get older, they replace the seasoned veterans who were the "mix" of the roster while younger players are added to replace those before them. If done correctly, teams can achieve year-to-year consistency that translates to winning. Miami hasn't found that consistency yet.
PFF recently took a look at the league's best players under the age of 25. They included players who will turn 25 during the season but not players who turn 25 at the start of the season. For the Dolphins, only one player made the list, De'Von Achane.
Achane comes in at No. 21 on the list. PFF raves about Achane's ability, but he is the only Miami player to make the list. PFF would come out with another list of players that landed just outside the top 25, and no Dolphins players were on that list. This is a problem for a team that needs to get more production from its younger guys.
Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson left off recent PFF list
Robinson will enter his second season in the NFL and is coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year nomination, but it wasn't a good enough season to get on the PFF "best-of" list. There are a lot of good players on the list, but Robinson should be on it as well.
Regardless of whether he is on the list or not, it is not a great situation for the Dolphins when you look at the roster. 36 players on the current roster are under the age of 25. Most of those players will be gone by the end of training camp, if they make it that far.
What should concern Miami is the number of players they should be relying on, but can't. Cam Smith has shown nothing after being drafted in the second round two years ago. Patrick Paul will get his first full-time look in 2025 after taking a backseat to Terron Armstead.
Aside from Robinson and Achane, the Dolphins have some talent that they are developing. Malik Washington and Storm Duck stand out. The rest of this part of the roster is unknown.
Miami should have more talent under the age of 25 who are not unknowns, but right now, 36 players are represented more by Achane and Robinson.