To anyone who's been paying attention over the last six months or so, it should come as no shock that the Miami Dolphins are the NFL's youngest roster. This is a strategic decision as much as it is a matter of necessity. It's been covered ad nauseam how Miami needed to reset their books and release underperforming veterans at a substantial cost — but this is more than that.
The Dolphins' new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, comes from an organization in Green Bay that is obsessed with having a youthful roster. Over the last five years (including this season), the Packers' roster ranks in terms of youth have been: sixth, first, first, first, and 13th. That lone double-digit ranking came when old man Aaron Rodgers was still donning the green and yellow, inflating the average in the process.
In other words, the Dolphins are resetting, but this is a roster-building strategy to get used to, and that entails entrusting rookies with big roles early. When the team released its first depth chart ahead of its Week 1 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, there were two impossible-to-miss rookie developments for players who will contribute early and often this season.
The Miami Dolphins had two major rookie-related surprises on their first official depth chart
First off, we have to talk about Chris Bell. Bell tore his ACL in what would be his final collegiate contest on November 22, 2025. Just a little over nine months later, he's been named a starting wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins. That's insane.
What makes the development particularly wild is the fact that Bell missed the first month or so of training camp rehabbing his injury. While fellow third-round rookie Caleb Douglas was out there earning his starting role without missing a practice, Bell was working to get back. It's amazing — and perhaps telling of the Dolphins' weakness at receiver — that in a little over two weeks, he was able to overtake veteran Jalen Tolbert for a starting spot.
It remains to be seen whether Bell is simply that good or whether the Dolphins are that desperate. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Still, it's hard to fathom how a player who was only able to participate in so few NFL-level practices is ready to play a majority of snaps when the regular season starts. Bell wasn't the only shocker on the depth chart, though.
When the Dolphins opted to keep Ronnie Harrison Jr., Willie Gay Jr., and Jackson Woodard as depth at linebacker, it seemed that they were perhaps laying it on a bit thick. With Jordyn Brooks and Jacob Rodriguez earmarked for primary roles, and another rookie, Kyle Louis, getting a spot, it didn't make that much sense. It turns out there was a method to the madness.
After being listed as a linebacker on the unofficial depth chart in the preseason, Louis now finds himself with another rookie, Michael Taaffe, as the top two backups at safety. For many, it wasn't much of a surprise. Louis had impressive production at Pitt, but his size was a cause for concern for a linebacker.
At 6'0" and 225 pounds, Louis is perhaps a little light to take on mauling offensive linemen in the trenches. He goes from an undersized linebacker to a thumping safety in one fell swoop, and it's not as if Louis is unfamiliar with the coverage aspect of the game. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 244 out of his 668 snaps in 2025 at the slot position.
These developments are to be expected with a rebuilding team that has more than $180 million in cap dollars tied to players who are no longer on the roster. It's also something of a new norm taking shape for the Dolphins under Sullivan. For fans, as long as it delivers the goods, the rest is gravy.
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