During the course of NFL training camp players will improve, and then regress.<\/p>\n
Rookies will tease, and then disappoint, and some units will look good in spurts, and others will struggle.<\/p>\n
And for everyone, the pressure mounts. These are the ebbs and flow that annually come with building an NFL team.<\/p>\n
The Miami Dolphins are inching closer to discovering what type of squad we will see when the roster general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan curated, and the talent Jeff Hafley coaches hit the field for preseason games, which start next week Friday against the Washington Commanders.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at 10 things Week 2 of training camp revealed about the 2026 Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n
Malik Willis is progressively getting better<\/p>\n
Willis has shown steady, consistent development throughout training camp\u2019s first nine practices. He\u2019s developing chemistry with a few of his weapons. He\u2019s showcasing impressive pocket presence, and his ability to throw accurate passes on the move has helped him shine. If Willis continues to get comfortable, and can speed up his diagnostic skills, he could potentially become a top 16 quarterback in his first full season as an NFL starter.<\/p>\n
Quinn Ewers needs a confidence boost<\/p>\n
Ewers isn\u2019t nearly as bad as he has practiced this past week. While the former Texas standout had some decent moments during Saturday\u2019s practice, his second week of practice doubled down on a lackluster first week, and hints that his confidence might be shaken. Ewers shines when he\u2019s decisive, and his weaponry is consistent. He would benefit from working with a stable, and consistent receiver unit next week, allowing them \u2014 Theo Wease Jr., Tahj Washington and A.J. Henning \u2014 to develop some chemistry and cohesion.<\/p>\n
Caleb Douglas teasing as a playmaker<\/p>\n
According to the NFL draftniks, the Dolphins reached when they selected Douglas, a former Texas Tech standout, in the third round of the 2026 Draft. But Miami\u2019s talent evaluators loved his blend of size, speed, and athleticism, and selected Douglas ahead of more hyped receivers in the draft. It seems as if Douglas\u2019 knack for getting open is making Sullivan and crew seem smart because the rookie has established himself as Willis\u2019 favorite target in camp\u2019s first two weeks. If Douglas continues improving and can stay healthy, he will likely be a rookie starter.<\/p>\n
Zeek Biggers is becoming a force<\/p>\n
Biggers, a 2025 seventh-round pick, is on the verge of locking up a starting role for the Dolphins because of how effective he has been as a five technique defensive end. His long arms and powerful base allows him to shed his blocker and make tackles at, or around the line of scrimmage, and his size (6-foot-6, 319 pounds) allows him to play every spot on the defensive front.<\/p>\n
Chop Robinson continues to shine<\/p>\n
Robinson, the Dolphins 2024 first-round pick, has been training camp\u2019s top performer based on how impactful he has been during camp\u2019s first nine practices. He\u2019s clearly the type of pass rusher opposing offensive coordinators will need to scheme for, and it seems as if his bulked-up frame, and improved strength has allowed him to improve his edge-setting. Of course this will be tested out next week during Miami\u2019s joint practice, and preseason game against the Washington Commanders, but so far, so good.<\/p>\n
Jacob Rodriguez is pushing to start<\/p>\n
Rodriguez, the Dolphins\u2019 second-round pick, has all the makings of a rookie starter. The inside linebacker is smart, physical, instinctive, can cover and has a knack for creating turnovers. The unwritten rule is that if it\u2019s even between a veteran player (Tyrel Dodson) and a rookie (Rodriguez) the edge goes to the newcomer because of his upside. Hopefully this will be an open, and fair competition during the preseason, but the writing is on the wall.<\/p>\n
Austin Jackson\u2019s critical to O-line\u2019s success<\/p>\n
The Dolphins need to come up with a recipe that will help Jackson, the team\u2019s starting right tackle, stay healthy. Whether that\u2019s him working every other day, or having his work limited on a daily basis. Jackson has played in 62 of 101 possible regular-season games, which means history says he will likely be available for 61% of Miami\u2019s games in 2026. Something has to give because his presence on Miami\u2019s offensive line is critical to that unit\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
Miami\u2019s backup tackles are lackluster<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a clear and noticeable difference in how Miami\u2019s offensive line performs when Jackson\u2019s in the lineup and when he\u2019s not, and that should be extremely concerning to Miami\u2019s front office and coaches. Charlie Heck, Kevin Cline, Marques Cox are all struggling, which should make this front office wonder if there\u2019s a quality backup tackle presently on the training camp roster. In fairness to all the backup tackles, Larry Borom struggled at this point last season, then became a decent fill-in starter for Jackson when he was sidelined by his foot injury.<\/p>\n
Tight end depth is a concern<\/p>\n
With Greg Dulcich seemingly sidelined by a hand injury, and Ben Sims shelved because of an undisclosed injury, the Dolphins find themselves fairly thin at tight end, which is a critical position for a newly installed offense and a first-year starting quarterback. Miami claimed Jeremiah Franklin this week, but Sullivan would be wise to explore possibly signing Jonnu Smith, a free agent who owns all of Miami\u2019s single-season tight end records, because having a quality tight end will make things easier on Willis.<\/p>\n
Chris Bell\u2019s close to receiving medical clearance<\/p>\n
Bell, the former Louisville standout the Dolphins selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, is running and cutting despite being nine months into rehabilitating the season-ending knee injury he suffered last November. That hints it\u2019s a possibility the rehabilitating receiver might be cleared to participate in training camp before the regular season arrives in September if he doesn\u2019t suffer a setback. The Dolphins are proceeding with caution, but the optimism is growing that Bell might be healthy enough to start the 2026 season on the active roster.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published August 8, 2026 at 3:57 PM with the headline “Kelly: What we learned about the Dolphins from Week 2 of training camp | Opinion.” <\/a><\/p>\n
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