After months of hard work and dedication by the Miami Dolphins' new regime, we finally know who made the cut for the first year of play under general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. With the sheer number of new faces that have been brought in this summer, fans knew this roster would hardly resemble any of the ones under Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel.
One thing that sets the Dolphins apart is their youth. With 13 drafted rookies and many more young players in the form of UDFAs, it was a dogfight to earn spots that would normally go to veterans. With Miami's record-breaking dead cap situation, however, more players than ever had a chance to crack the final roster.
Ultimately, there were some significant changes made that very few truly expected, but will it be enough to be a respectable unit in 2026?
Miami Dolphins initial 53-man roster is all about hope for the future
Specialists (3): Riley Patterson (K), Bradley Pinion (P), Tucker Addington (LS)
I won't bore you with a breakdown of this group, as we have all known for a while that this would be the three specialists. For what it's worth, though, I think it will be a respectable unit even if Riley Patterson doesn't repeat his 27 of 29 showing on field goals.
Defensive line (4): Zach Seiler, *Kenneth Grant (IR), Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers, Keith Cooper Jr.
No real surprises here, especially if you read my final roster prediction. In what will be a theme for this team, youth won out in the battle between Matthew Butler and Keith Cooper Jr., with the rest of the group being the expected names. If the young guns can take a step, and Zach Seiler bounces back after a lackluster 2025, this position could be one of the Dolphins' best. Grant starting the season on the injured reserve isn't ideal, but they should be just fine until he returns.
Edge rusher (5): Chop Robinson, Josh Uche, Clelin Ferrell, Robert Beal Jr, Max Llewellyn
The Dolphins keeping Robert Beal Jr. was definitely a bit of a surprise, but he does bring more burst off the edge. The top four players are exactly who we expected, with seventh-round rookie Max Llewellyn getting the nod after a solid summer. While Chop Robinson is still this group's only chance of being even kind of good, he has had the kind of camp that usually foreshadows a breakout.
Linebacker (6): Jordyn Brooks, Jacob Rodriguez, Kyle Louis, Willie Gay Jr., Jackson Woodard, Ronnie Harrison Jr.,*Trey Moore (Injured Reserve)
I expect one of these players to be let go once rookie Trey Moore returns from injury, but this group should be one of the league's best even with the surprising release of Tyrel Dodson. Dodson was a solid starter and was likely released as a way to give him a bigger role elsewhere, with rookie Jacob Rodriguez set to start next to All-Pro Jordyn Brooks.
Cornerbacks (5): Chris Johnson, JuJu Brents, Jason Marshall Jr., Ethan Bonner, A.J. Green III
Only five corners make the initial cuts, and you could argue only three really deserve it. Ethan Bonner has struggled this preseason, and A.J. Green III is likely nothing more than average depth on the outside. Rookie Chris Johnson, JuJu Brents, and Jason Marshall Jr. will need to be both good and healthy for this room to be even average.
Safeties (3): Dante Trader Jr., Zayne Anderson, Michael Taaffe
I suppose one way to deal with a lack of quality depth in the secondary is to just not carry many players. If the starters at either corner or safety go down, it's probably over for the pass defense. Still, keeping just three safeties for now is odd, especially with just five corners. Perhaps they are hoping hybrid safety/linebacker Kyle Louis will be a part of the calculus here.
Offensive line (10): Aaron Brewer, Patrick Paul, Austin Jackson, Jonah Savaiinaea, Kadyn Proctor, Andrew Meyer, Caedan Wallace, DJ Campbell, Marques Cox, Josh Priebe
10 offensive linemen is a lot of beef to keep on the initial roster, but I understand why they might be going in this direction. First, Austin Jackson's health is constantly an issue, making the backup players for this team especially important. Also, as good as Jonah Savaiinaea has looked since moving back to the right side, you never know if his awful rookie season is trult behind him.
Tight end/Fullback (5): Greg Dulcich, Will Kacmarek, Ben Sims, Seydou Traore, DJ Herman
The tight end group looks just as fans likely expected, but DJ Herman's inclusion was perhaps the surprise of the day. Herman is a rookie making the switch from college linebacker to NFL fullback, and he apparently made that transition well enough to make the team. We will see if one of these players get the axe at some point as the roster gets shuffled, but they can all breath easy for now.
Wide receiver (7): Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, Kevin Coleman Jr., Chris Bell, Jalen Tolbert, A.J. Henning, Ryan Miller
This group is...not what I expected. If anything, I wondered if only five receivers would make the team, let alone seven. Ryan Miller and A.J. Henning could be potential cuts once waiver claims are finalized, but Henning especially earned a spot with his play this summer. Regardless, however, the passing game will go as far as the rookie receivers take it.
Running back (3): De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II
So much for Jarquez Hunter, I suppose. Maybe he ends up on the practice squad, but his being waived after being traded from the Rams for Tutu Atwell seems like a wasted opportunity. Anyway, the top guys are exactly what we expected, and this backfield will live or die on the play of De'Von Achane.
Quarterback (2): Malik Willis, Kyle McCord
The Dolphins choosing to move on from Quinn Ewers was a bit surprising at first, but his combination of a poor summer and injury questions made the front office question him. In his place is Kyle McCord, a fellow second-year QB whom the Dolphins traded for from Green Bay. I was higher on McCord coming out of the 2025 draft than I was on Ewers, so this swap makes total sense to me.
Add us as a preferred source on Google