Take out the fandom aspect with the Miami Dolphins, and expectations for the team in 2025 are not very high.
Miami is one of those teams that many analysts have admitted they don't know what to expect from in the upcoming NFL season, but there are several reasons to believe that this will not be a playoff team this year.
Nevertheless, Dolphins fans should feel optimistic about the future, given their recent success and depth acquired in the NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins rookie classes have team on upward trajectory for 2026 and beyond
I am not normally one to give credit to general manager Chris Grier. In fact, like several other fans, I believe Grier should have been handed his walking papers some time ago. Yet, I have to give credit where it is due and say that his drafting -- in 2024 and 2025, particularly -- has looked impressive, at least on paper.
After just eight total picks in 2022 and 2023, Grier has had near or at the full allotment of selections the past two years. And with them, he seems to have chosen wisely.
For the purpose of this article, we'll excuse defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea -- Miami's first- and second-round picks, respectively, this past April. We've obviously yet to see them in a regular-season game, but given their draft capital, they were locks to make the final 53-man roster.
Pass rusher Chop Robinson and offensive tackle Patrick Paul (the Dolphins' first- and second-round picks in 2024, respectively), meanwhile, have seen the field and look to be future stars for the organization.
Robinson looks like a future Pro Bowler (or better), and Paul has Dolphins fans confident he can fill in for the likely future Hall of Famer, Terron Armstead, after an impressive camp and preseason.
Yet, it's the Day 3 picks that truly stand out, because at the end of the day, they are who make up the majority of your team. And thus far (yes, it's still very early), Grier seems to have made several hits in this regard.
Although edge rusher Mohamed Kamara (fifth round) and safety Patrick McMorris (sixth round) did not make the cut this year, the rest of Miami's 2024 class did, including wide receiver Tahj Washington (seventh round), who missed all of last season with an injury.
This year's Dolphins class, which consisted of 75 percent of players selected on Day 3 after trading up for Savaiinaea and then moving back out of the fourth round completely, also all made the final roster.
While much of that can be chalked up to the Dolphins' lack of depth across the board, each player selected, from defensive lineman Jordan Phillips selected in the fifth round down to defensive lineman Zeek Biggers taken with Miami's final pick in the seventh round, legitimately earned their place on the 53.
More importantly, each player selected has particular traits that warrant high upside, which is what good NFL teams target in the later rounds. Phillips, for instance, has the upside to be one of Miami's best Day 3 selections of all time, and that's not being hyperbolic.
Meanwhile, running back Ollie Gordon II (sixth round) and quarterback Quinn Ewers (seventh round) were both at the top of their positions at one time.
Gordon went into the 2024 season as a potential Heisman candidate, while Ewers was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school. It didn't go the way either had planned in college, but the talent is obviously there. The Dolphins were smart to take them when they did, and both had solid camps.
Gordon has the potential to be RB1 in the Dolphins' backfield. He also might need to be in Week 1 if De'Von Achane isn't healthy enough to play.
In 2024, Malik Washington flashed as a sixth-round rookie. He's established himself in a competent role in Miami's offense and could see an even bigger one sooner rather than later if the Dolphins trade wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
One round later, Miami doubled down on wide receiver (and players named Washington) with the selection of Washington. He, unfortunately, got hurt early on in the offseason and was out for the year. However, he bounced back significantly this year after getting back on the field.
Then, there's cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., whom the Dolphins took this year shortly after Phillips. Although cornerback is easily Miami's weakest position, Marshall showed the organization in practice and in a couple of preseason games his ability to work as a slot corner.
Despite not playing there before, he did so well that the coaching staff was confident enough to let go of veteran Mike Hilton as one of Miami's more surprising cuts.
There's a good chance that the Dolphins are picking in the top 10 in 2026. And if that's the case, there's the possibility that Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel won't be making the selections of Miami's new crop of players.
But if these recent draft classes can deliver on the field and build some camaraderie this season, maybe the Dolphins can soon finally get over the hump and win the AFC East.