Breaking down the Dolphins’ roster after the 2023 NFL Draft

The Dolphins’ roster continues to take shape with the end of the 2023 NFL Draft. Miami’s four-player class joins the team’s group of returning players and free agent signings. The Dolphins have also agreed to terms with close to two dozen undrafted free agents who will participate in next weekend’s rookie minicamp and then join the team for organized team activities and training camp. Miami has yet to announce its undrafted free agent class but is expected to do so in the coming days.

Here is a breakdown of the Dolphins’ roster after the draft. Rookies are denoted with an asterisk.

OFFENSE

▪ Quarterbacks (3): Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson

▪ Skinny: Head coach Mike McDaniel said White, signed from the New York Jets, will compete with Thompson for the backup spot behind Tagovailoa. The Dolphins kept three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster last season and could very well do so again, given the injury questions with Tagovailoa.

▪ Running backs (5): Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin, Devon Achane*

▪ Skinny: Though the Dolphins re-signed all four of their backs from last season, they drafted Achane in the third round, adding a speedy player who could be an all-purpose contributor as a rookie. Miami has been linked to Minnesota Vikings All-Pro Dalvin Cook this offseason and, asked after the draft about the possibility to add a “veteran running back,” McDaniel answered, “generally, nothing is off the table.”

▪ Wide receiver (9): Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, Chosen Anderson, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Braylon Sanders, Erik Ezukanma, Freddie Swain

▪ Skinny: The fiercest position battle this spring and summer is shaping up to be the role for the No. 3 receiver. The Dolphins signed Anderson and Berrios this offseason, and both have been productive pass-catchers at their previous stops. Grier said teams have been calling about Wilson in a possible trade and added, “I’m trying to do right by him.”

▪ Tight end/fullback (6): Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Tanner Conner, Alec Ingold, John Lovett Elijah Higgins*

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins haven’t brought in a clear replacement for Mike Gesicki, who signed with the New England Patriots, but Higgins has the skill set to do similar things if he can handle the transition from college wide receiver to tight end. Saubert, signed from the Denver Broncos, has mainly been a blocker in his career and gives Miami depth behind Smythe.

▪ Offensive tackle (6): Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Kendall Lamm, Kion Smith, Geron Christian, Ryan Hayes*

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins didn’t draft an offensive lineman until the seventh round, and Hayes projects as a developmental prospect, so Miami still needs to add competition and depth. General manager Chris Grier has said the expectation is that Jackson will be the Dolphins’ starting right tackle, but the team has been mulling options in free agency.

▪ Interior offensive line (6): Liam Eichenberg, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Dan Feeney, Robert Jones, Lester Cotton

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins are set at center and right guard with Williams and Hunt, but Eichenberg enters a critical third season after injuries limited him in 2022. Can Feeney or Jones push Eichenberg for the starting spot?

DEFENSE

▪ Interior defensive line (6): Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler, Emmanuel Ogbah, Josiah Bronson, Jaylen Twyman

▪ Skinny: Wilkins, Davis and Sieler are all entering the final year of their contracts, but in 2023 they present a formidable trio. The return of Ogbah from a season-ending triceps injury should only make the position room better if he is back to 2020-2021 form. The Dolphins haven’t brought in a backup nose tackle after John Jenkins departed in free agency and could look to do so before training camp starts.

▪ Outside linebacker (5): Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Malik Reed, Cameron Goode

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins have a mix of top-tier talent with Chubb and Phillips and good depth with Van Ginkel and Reed. Goode, a seventh-round pick last year, will be competing for a roster spot after he spent his rookie season on the practice squad.

▪ Inside linebacker (4): Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins signed Long in free agency, and he should start alongside Baker. Riley is a core special teamer and one of the team’s better coverage linebackers. Can Tindall find a role after playing sparingly as a rookie?

▪ Cornerback (10): Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou, Nik Needham, Keion Crossen, Trill Williams, Justin Bethel, Noah Igbinoghene, Tino Ellis, Cam Smith*

▪ Skinny: Injuries decimated the Dolphins’ cornerback depth last season, but the outlook is much better for the team entering spring workouts. Ramsey should be a versatile shutdown corner opposite Howard, while Smith, the team’s second-round pick, will be competing for snaps with the likes of Kohou and Needham, who is returning from an Achilles injury.

▪ Safety (5): Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Verone McKinley III, Elijah Campbell

▪ Skinny: Holland is an entrenched starter entering his third season, but there will be competition for the safety spot next to him. Jones, who is returning from a torn ACL he sustained last season, Elliott, McKinley and Campbell all present differing skill sets for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

SPECIAL TEAMS

▪ Specialists (3): Jason Sanders, Jake Bailey, Blake Ferguson

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins signed Bailey to replace Thomas Morstead and are hoping he can return to the All-Pro form he showed in 2020 before he was dogged by inconsistency and injuries. It’s a big year for Sanders, too, who hasn’t played up to his All-Pro standard in a few years, either.