Infants have to learn how to crawl before they can walk, and walk before they can run.
Professional athletes are usually no different, which is why it’s important for the Miami Dolphins and their fan base to place reasonable expectations for the rookie class of 2026, which will be called on to fill numerous voids this offseason’s roster purge created.
As talented as some of Miami’s 2026 draftees might be, expecting them to have dynamic seasons out the gate, becoming major contributors to a team’s success, is unrealistic.
That might have been the case for De’Von Achane, who had a dynamic rookie year in 2023, a season where he came back from a knee injury sustained in training camp to average 7.8 yards per attempt and scored 11 touchdowns, and Jaylen Waddle, who set NFL rookie reception records in 2021, but they are the exception, not the norm.
During the past two decades there have been very few Dolphins rookies — offensive tackle Jake Long (the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft), Jarvis Landry (a 2014 second-round selection), Laremy Tunsil (a 2016 first-round pick), Minkah Fitzpatrick (a 2018 first-round pick), Waddle (first-round pick) and Achane (third-round pick) — who hit the ground running, becoming forces in their first NFL season.
And four of those six rookie standouts were first-round picks.
Some rookies — Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt and Patrick Paul — benefitted from slow cooking, blossoming in time. Or had injuries — Xavien Howard and Jaelan Phillips — slow down their development. And others — Austin Jackson for example, and hopefully Chop Robinson — grow out of their struggles.
We can probably expect most of the members of this year’s rookie class to fit into one of these three categories.
The runway has been cleared for Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. to become rookie starting receivers in 2026 while Chris Bell is brought along slowly because of the season-ending knee injury he suffered last November while playing for the University of Louisville.
Jacob Rodriguez, Kyle Louis and Trey Moore will be groomed as Miami’s future linebacker trio because their unit happens to be one of the team’s deepest, most talented positions. But one injury can shake things up for all of them.
Chris Johnson, Michael Taffee and Louis Moore could all end up starters in Miami’s secondary, which will likely feature all new starting cornerbacks and safeties.
Kadyn Proctor, who along with Johnson were the Dolphins’ two first-round picks in 2026, and DJ Campbell could very well represent the future of the offensive line.
And Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore could become Miami’s future tight end duo. But like most rookies, both will likely need time and reps to adjust to the speed and strength of the NFL game.
After all, last year’s rookies surely did.
Jonah Savaiinaea, Miami’s 2025 second-round pick, struggled all season as the Dolphins’ rookie starting left guard weighed down the offensive line, and led to costly drive-killing plays that cost Miami big in critical situations.
Miami’s defense began the 2026 season with Jason Marshall Jr. as the starting nickel cornerback, and the Dolphins secondary didn’t find its footing until the cornerback from the University of Florida was replaced.
The struggles of Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips stopping the run in the first nine games of the 2026 season were a major factor in Miami beginning the season with 2-7 since the team’s main problem was its run defense.
Dante Trader Jr.’s missed a tackle on a Ladd McConkey 42-yard reception in the final minute of Miami’s 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, setting up the clinching 33-yard field goal that produced the loss on that error.
Ollie Gordon II initially helped the Dolphins solve issues converting in short-yardage situations, but his 2.8 yards-per-carry average was the NFL’s lowest for players with 50 carries in 2025.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers started the final three games of the 2025 season when he replaced a benched Tua Tagovailoa, averaged 206 passing yards per start, with three touchdowns passed for and three interceptions.
The hope is that all of last year’s rookies grew from their experiences and struggles on the field, and begin to perform better as a result of them.
If Miami achieves its primary goal for this season, management and coaches will be able to say the same about this year’s rookie class, which is likely going to require plenty of patience.
