Miami Dolphins Training Camp Superlatives

Who is the Miami Dolphins' biggest addition? What is the team's greatest concern?

The Miami Dolphins wrapped up training came Thursday, which means games that count are around the corner.

After Saturday's preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dolphins' coaches, front office executives and scouting department will spend three days debating the 90-player training camp roster to produce its best 53-man roster.

Here's a look at Omar Kelly's superlatives of the Dolphins' summer, analyzing what we saw in a month's worth of practices and games.

Top Performer: Zach Sieler

Christian Wilkins got disqualified from consideration because he skipped team periods in the final three weeks of camp, and Tyreek Hill gets overlooked because this year’s camp wasn’t as dominant as last year’s camp, when he was trying to set a tone for his teammates. Sieler, an impending free agent who happens to be one of the team’s most underpaid players, grinded every day, and even tried to practice through an injury he suffered Thursday. He also was forceful on a daily basis. He’s the type of lunch-pail player every franchise needs to serve as the glue.

Biggest Addition: Braxton Berrios

The former University of Miami standout has been the Dolphins’ third-best receiver, and gained that spot by outperforming his peers and quickly grasping the offense. He’s also Miami’s primary punt and kickoff returner, which means he’ll be responsible for producing the hidden yardage that occasionally dictates the outcome of games.

Most Improved Player: Austin Jackson

The former 2020 first-round pick is lean, mean, and he’s on a redemption tour, attempting to preserve his career as an NFL starter. While his performance as the Dolphins’ starting right tackle hasn’t always been clean, he was one of the unit’s top performers during training camp. It’s clear Jackson’s goal is to shut up all of his doubters.

Most Impressive Rookie: Cam Smith

If Smith hadn’t injured his right shoulder in Miami’s 19-3 preseason loss against the Falcons, he probably would be penciled in as the outside cornerback who replaces Jalen Ramsey by now. But the shoulder injury got him held out of contact work for a week, and Smith fell behind Eli Apple and Noah Igbinoghene. While the Dolphins’ 2023 second-round pick still has some growing to do, his coverage skills are superior to Apple and Igbinoghene, and there’s little doubt he’ll eventually start games for Miami this season.

Area of Concern: Roster Depth

Every season NFL teams can count losing at least half a dozen of the team’s starters to injuries that sideline them for at least six games, if not longer. How that team survives those injuries often dictates how they perform because good coordinators attack those replacements. Based on what I watched this training camp, the only Dolphins units that could survive losing one starter are the tailbacks, and maybe the outside linebackers. Every other unit would experience a significant drop-off if Erik Ezukanma, Tyler Kroft, Dan Feeney or Kendall Lamm, Da’Shawn Hand, Duke Riley, Noah Igbinoghene and Elijah Campbell were forced to become starters. My hope is that the Dolphins continue to churn the bottom of this roster in an attempt to fortify Miami’s depth.

Area of Strength: Tailbacks

Raheem Mostert fell just short of producing 1,100 rushing and receiving yards last season, and Jeff Wilson Jr. averaged 4.7 yards per carry for the Dolphins last season, and scored four touchdowns in the eight games he played once acquired in a trade. That doesn’t even account for the playmaking ability of Salvon Ahmed, and rookie De’Von Achane. Can you imagine what this unit will look like if Miami closes a deal to acquire Jonathan Taylor from the Colts?

Biggest Surprise: Emmanuel Ogbah

Vic Fangio’s new scheme is drastically different from what Miami ran on defense the past four years, and Ogbah seems to be the player who is suffering the most from the changes. Miami is using him more as a standup outside linebacker than they are a hand in the dirt defensive end, and that’s not exactly highlighting his strengths so far. It would benefit the Dolphins to move Ogbah now to a 4-3 team willing to take on his $15 million salary because it would create some financial relief, cap space, which the team will desperately need in 2024.

Pushing for Playing Time: Elijah Campbell

Campbell has carved out a career for himself the past three seasons because of his strong special teams play, but it seems as if he’s pushing for a prominent role in Miami’s defense, possibly becoming the safety paired with Jevon Holland. Campbell, a cornerback who got converted to safety last season, has the range needed to play center field in Miami’s defense. Problem is, elevating him to a starting role on the defense might weaken his ability to benefit the Dolphins’ coverage units.

Needs the Most Work: Liam Eichenberg

Christian Wilkins was the grinch that stole Eichenberg’s confidence. Getting beaten up daily by Wilkins, when he was practicing, eroded Eichenberg’s confidence to the point he stopped practicing (injury or not). The Dolphins once had high hopes for this former Notre Dame standout, but at this time it seems as if he’s on the Michael Deiter program, destined for another position switch, possibly following in Deiter’s footsteps and moving to center.

Biggest Mystery: No. 2 QB

It’s possible we won’t know who Tua Tagovailoa’s true backup is until he’s pressed into action because the camp competition between Mike White, the free agent added, and Skylar Thompson, the 2022 seventh-round pick, had to be put on ice because of a concussion White suffered in Miami’s 28-3 win against the Houston Texans. White is being held out of Saturday’s game against Jacksonville so the jockeying for position must be put on hold until the regular season.

Toughest Injury: Jalen Ramsey

Losing Ramsey to a meniscus injury in training camp’s first week cost the Dolphins a top 25 player in the league, and forced Fangio to recalibrate how he’s going to utilize his defense until December, which is when Ramsey hopefully will return.

Best Undrafted Rookie: Brandon Pili

Defensive linemen that big (6-3, 320 pound) who can move with cat-like quickness are in tremendous demand. As camp progressed Pili, a former USC starter, began to heat up, routinely causing havoc in the backfield. Whether he makes it onto the 53-man roster will depends on how Miami’s coaches feel about Da’Shawn Hand,

Toughest to Figure out: Will Christian Wilkins get his extension?

Wilkins sat out the last three weeks of team periods in practice hoping to force Miami’s hand in contract negotiations. Problem is, he and his camp supposedly are asking for money to put him in the neighborhood of the four-year, $90 million deal his former Clemson teammate Dexter Lawrence got from the Giants. Will Wilkins and the Dolphins decision-makers make a compromise and come to a resolution before the Sept. 10 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers?