2024 NFL Season Preview: Miami Dolphins

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Miami Dolphins (Last Year: 11-6)



Season Summary:
The Dolphins appeared to be the best team in the NFL at one point last year, as both Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill garnered plenty of MVP discussion. That quickly went away, as Miami limped to the finish line as a result of numerous injuries.



2024 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
TE Jonnu Smith, OT Jack Driscoll, C Aaron Brewer, DT Calais Campbell, DT Neville Gallimore, DT Benito Jones, DE/OLB Shaq Barrett, LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Anthony Walker, CB Kendall Fuller, CB Siran Neal, S Jordan Poyer.
Early Draft Picks:
DE Chop Robinson, OT Patrick Paul, RB Jaylen Wright, DE/OLB Mo Kamara. Dolphins Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
WR Cedrick Wilson, G Robert Hunt, C Connor Williams, DE Andrew Van Ginkel, DE Emmanuel Ogbah, DT Christian Wilkins, DT Raekwon Davis, LB Jerome Baker, CB Xavien Howard, CB Eli Apple, S Brandon Jones, S Jerome Baker.

2024 Miami Dolphins Offense:
Miami’s success in 2023 was going to be determined by a simple if-then-else statement. If Tua Tagovailoa could remain healthy the entire year, then the Dolphins would have a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl. Else, they would either miss the playoffs, or once again sneak in as a lower seed and lose right away.

This proved to be incorrect, but also right at the same time. Instead of Tagovailoa suffering an injury, half the roster did instead. Tagovailoa had a great year in which he threw for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns, all while completing 69.3 percent of his passes. He played all 17 games, though it’s still wrong to assume that he can remain on the field all year just because he had a completely healthy season.

One of the primary players to suffer an injury was Tyreek Hill. The dynamic receiver recently turned 30, so perhaps injuries will begin to pile up for him. When he’s healthy, however, Hill will continue to be one of the most dangerous threats in all of football when he has the ball in his hands. Jaylen Waddle, another dynamic receiver, was just rewarded with an $84 million contract. There wasn’t any sort of depth behind Hill and Waddle last year, so the Dolphins signed Odell Beckham. The veteran wideout isn’t nearly the same electric player he once was, but he had some bright moments for the Ravens this past season. The Dolphins also signed Jonnu Smith, a mediocre tight end, but a big upgrade at the position from what Miami had last year.

Terron Armstead also suffered an injury, missing seven games as a result. Armstead is one of the most talented left tackles in the NFL, but he’s just as unreliable. He’ll return as the starter once again, but Miami can’t count on him playing most of the season. His bookend, Austin Jackson, didn’t miss time last year, but barely played in 2022. Jackson isn’t nearly as skilled as Armstead, but he’s a fine blocker.

There’s concern with the interior blocking as well. Guards Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn combined to play just 14 of 34 possible games in 2023. The Dolphins lost the talented Robert Hunt, so they’ll have to rely on Jones and Wynn more than they did last year. Center Connor Williams, who was on the field for only nine games last season, is also gone. He’ll be replaced by Aaron Brewer, who had a decent season for Tennessee in 2023.

If the blockers remain healthy, the Dolphins should be able to maintain a terrific ground attack. Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane have incredible speed, especially the latter. Achane can score every single time he touches the football, but he also has durability concerns. The Dolphins added another backfield threat in the draft, selecting Jaylen Wright in the fourth round.



2024 Miami Dolphins Defense:
The injuries extended to the defense as well. Miami was so banged up on this side of the ball by the playoffs that it barely had any functional front-seven players available for the game against the Chiefs, which resulted in a predictable loss.

Jaelan Phillips was one of the first defenders to go down. He suffered an Achilles tear in Week 12. Phillips is a devastating pass rusher who notched 6.5 sacks in only eight games, so he was sorely missed down the stretch. Bradley Chubb was one of the players who picked up the slack. The former Bronco led the team with 11 sacks. Andrew Van Ginkel was another defender who rose to the challenge, but he also got hurt late in the year. Van Ginkel signed with the Vikings, prompting Miami to use its first-round pick on edge rusher Chop Robinson. The Dolphins also signed Shaq Barrett, but he’s past his prime and probably won’t do much in 2024.

A third player who stepped up in the wake of Phillips’ injury was Zach Sieler, who recorded 10 sacks. Sieler will return as a starter on the defensive line, but he won’t be playing next to Christian Wilkins and his nine sacks, as Wilkins signed with the Raiders this offseason. With Wilkins gone, the Dolphins had a hole that they plugged with the recently signed Calais Campbell. While Campbell is not quite the dominant force he once was, he can still perform at a high level.

Another player the Dolphins lost is Jerome Baker, who signed with the Seahawks this offseason. Baker also missed the Chiefs playoff game, so Miami will need his replacement to be more reliable. There are three linebackers competing for two spots. The lone incumbent is David Long Jr., who is coming off a solid year. Jordyn Brooks, signed over from Seattle, was far worse than Baker last year. There’s also Anthony Walker, a talented linebacker who gets injured far too often.

As for the secondary, Miami added some talent to counter some of the lethal passing attacks in the AFC. At cornerback, the Dolphins signed Kendall Fuller away from the Redskins. Fuller was the lone bright spot in Washington’s defensive backfield, so he’ll make for a great complement to Jalen Ramsey, who missed seven games in 2023. Kader Kohou is a decent player in the slot.

The other defensive back addition is Jordan Poyer, formerly of the Bills. While Poyer is past his prime, he can still play well and offer an upgrade next to Jevon Holland, who has emerged as one of the top safeties in the NFL.



2024 Miami Dolphins Schedule and Intangibles:
Jason Sanders is coming off a great year. He was 24-of-28, and he drilled 5-of-7 attempts from beyond 50.

Punter Jake Bailey needed to be upgraded. He routinely finishes toward the bottom of the league in net punting average.

The Dolphins have just a single 1 p.m. home game prior to Oct. 27, so they won’t be able to take advantage of the absurd Miami heat and humidity. As for the opponents themselves, it’s a mixed bag.



2024 Miami Dolphins Rookies:
Go here for the Dolphins Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.



2024 Miami Dolphins Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks		Offensive Line		Secondary
Running Backs		Defensive Line		Special Teams
Receivers		Linebackers		Coaching