- Head Coach: Mike McDaniel (fourth season)
- PFF projected win total: 8.5
- 2024 Record: 8-9 (second in AFC East)
Biggest Strength: Speed on Offense
Miami’s ideal offense creates explosive plays at a high rate with a haul of speedsters at running back and wide receiver. De’Von Achane has recorded a 92.2 PFF rushing grade over the past two years, placing him second best in the NFL. Behind Achane is Jaylen Wright, who posted a solid 75.8 PFF rushing grade as a rookie. On the perimeter, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combine to form one of the most explosive receiver pairings in the NFL.
Biggest Weakness: Cornerbacks
Dolphins cornerbacks earned just a 64.2 PFF coverage grade last season. The two players who kept the unit afloat last season will not suit up for the team this year, as Jalen Ramsey was traded to Pittsburgh and Kader Kohou suffered a season-ending knee injury. Veteran Kendall Fuller was also released, so the Dolphins will be relying on veterans like Jack Jones and Mike Hilton alongside unproven youngsters Cam Smith and Storm Duck to fill the void.
Quarterback Spotlight: Tua Tagovailoa
- 2024 PFF Grade: 70.2
- Key Stat: 79.8% adjusted completion rate (second in NFL)
As has often been the case, Tagovailoa wrestled with injuries in 2024, which forced the Dolphins out of the playoff picture. Aside from poor performances against Buffalo and Houston, Tagovailoa played his usual brand of solid, if conservative, football. He held the second-highest adjusted completion percentage in the NFL, but his 2.6% big-time throw rate was his lowest since 2021. He also struggled against the blitz, earning just a 57.9 PFF passing grade against it last season.
Offensive Player: WR Tyreek Hill
Hill battled through a lack of production last season due to Tagovailoa’s injuries and the ineffectiveness of Miami’s backup quarterbacks. His 77.3 PFF receiving grade was a career low. He also posted a career-low 3.5 yards after catch per reception. Hill led the NFL in PFF receiving grade across the two preceding seasons, though, and there is still plenty of good football left in the tank for the speedster.
Defensive Player: EDGE Chop Robinson
Robinson quietly had a nice rookie season in the absence of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. He led Miami’s defense with a 78.7 PFF pass-rush grade and 56 pressures. He still needs to refine his run defense and tackling, but Robinson could help create a fearsome defensive line alongside Phillips, Chubb, Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant.
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Rookie to Watch: OL Jonah Savaiinaea
Miami traded up in the second round to take Savaiinaea out of Arizona, hoping that his solid fundamentals in pass protection as tackle or guard could help them. Savaiinaea earned an outstanding 85.6 PFF pass-blocking grade during his three collegiate seasons. He’s currently projected to start at left guard and aid an offensive line that ranked 21st in PFF pass-blocking grade last season.
Fantasy Spotlight: WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Waddle was a consistent fantasy starter for the first three years of his career, often finishing in the top-20 range in fantasy points per game. However, he spent more time on the injury report than off it in 2022 and 2023, and his fantasy production and PFF grades sharply declined in 2024, even though he wasn’t appearing on the injury report as much.
While some of his poor games occurred when Tua Tagoaviloa was out of the lineup, he also didn’t play well during Tagovailoa’s first month back. There is a chance Waddle will return to form and overtake Tyreek Hill as the top target in Miami’s offense, but it’s also possible he’s dealt with too many injuries in his young career and that his peak is behind him.
Best Bet: QB Tua Tagovailoa to go over 3,500.5 passing yards (-110)
A cloud of spotty injury history lingers over Tagovailoa’s 2025 outlook, but his production when he’s healthy speaks for itself. While the optics of 2024 didn’t look great, Tagovailoa’s play was reminiscent of his NFL-leading performance in 2023. Should he play all 17 games, he will comfortably clear this line.
Bottom Line
If Tua Tagovailoa can play all 17 games, which he’s done just once, then the Dolphins have enough offensive firepower to compete for a playoff spot. Their flaws on the offensive line and in the secondary could prevent that, though, along with any potential injuries to their starting quarterback.
This news was originally published on this post .
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