The Dolphins' Pro Bowl Possibilities
Despite there being four games left in the 2021 NFL regular season, we're down to the last week of fan voting for the Pro Bowl and less than a week away from the AFC and NFC rosters being revealed.
The Miami Dolphins surprisingly had only one selection for the Pro Bowl last year despite their 10-6 record, so maybe we probably shouldn't expect too much this year — particularly considering the Dolphins didn't make much of an impression while they were starting 1-7.
Before we examine the Dolphins' Pro Bowl possibilities, let us remind fans they can vote at NFL.com/ProBowlVote on Twitter with #ProBowlVote along with the player's first and last name and Twitter handle or a hash tag followed by the player's first and last name.
Fan voting, which will count one third of the ballot along choices from coaches and players, ends Thursday. Players and coaches will complete their votes by Friday.
The rosters will be announced Monday at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network and ESPN as part of its pregame show ahead of the Chicago-Minnesota game.
So here's how we would assess the chances of those Dolphins players enjoying good seasons, understanding it doesn't look promising for many selections.
LIKELY PRO BOWLER
CB Xavien Howard — No, Howard hasn't been as good as he was during his incredible 2020 season, but he still has four interceptions plus two forced fumbles/fumble recoveries, the one that sealed the season-opening victory at New England and the one he returned for a touchdown in the Thursday night victory against Baltimore.
PRO BOWL LONG SHOTS
WR Jaylen Waddle — The rookie first-round pick is tied for second among AFC wide receivers with 86 catches with Hunter Renfrow and Keenan Allen (behind Tyreek Hill), but will be hurt by his relatively yards-per-catch average of 9.9.
TE Mike Gesicki — Gesicki has 59 catches, including several highlight-worthy plays, but he's going to have a tough time beating out Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce, who have 76 and 75 catches, respectively, The two selections last year were Kelce and Darren Waller, who's got 53 catches.
DE Emmanuel Ogbah — Ogbah has had a second really impressive season for the Dolphins, but his impressive nine passes batted down aren't going to be enough to make up for a lack of sacks compared to other AFC defensive ends, starting with Cleveland's Myles Garrett.
DT Christian Wilkins — The 2019 first-round pick has really blossomed in his third NFL season, but his job description isn't necessarily conducive to producing the kind of stats that will catch the attention of Pro Bowl voters. He's also got a lot of company in terms of high-end AFC defensive tackles, such as Cam Heyward, Jeffery Simmons, Chris Jones and DeForrest Buckner.
FS Jevon Holland — It might be a bit of a stretch to include the rookie second-round pick but he's made an impact on the defense in various ways, whether it be with his blitzing or pass coverage. But he's got well-known players who'll be tough to beat out, including 2020 selections Justin Simmons and Minkah Fitzpatrick, as well as Kevin Byard of the Titans.
DESERVING MENTION
OLB Jaelan Phillips — The 8.5 sacks absolutely will catch some attention, but Phillips was awfully quiet in the early part of the season.
ST Mack Hollins — Hollins has been very good as a gunner for the Dolphins, but he's way down the list when it comes to NFL special teams tackles and he also doesn't have the league-wide recognition that would get him in the Pro Bowl — not to mention being hurt by Miami's 1-7 start.
