What Recent History Says About Dolphins and Rookie Free Agents

The Miami Dolphins are bringing in some interesting undrafted prospects, but expectations should be measured

Miami Dolphins cornerback Storm Duck (36) works out during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex last spring. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins have supplemented their 2025 draft class with more than a dozen undrafted free agents, who will hope to beat the odds to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Dolphins UDFA class, which won't become official until the start of rookie minicamp May 9, features a few players ranked among the best UDFAs at their position by NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter.

Those would include Arkansas wide receiver Anthony Armstrong, Texas Tech tight end Jalen Conyers and Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante.

The hope is that a few of those UDFAs can not only make the roster but being contributors for the Dolphins, preferrably sooner rather than later. The reality is that it just doesn't happen very often.

THE DOLPHINS' RECENT HISTORY WITH ROOKIE FREE AGENTS

The Dolphins had two of their rookie free agents make the initial 53-man roster last season, cornerback Storm Duck and offensive lineman Andrew Meyer.

While Meyer barely saw action last season, Duck wound up getting playing time and starting three games at cornerback. He could find himself involved in a battle for a starting job in training camp this summer.

Meyer's situation was much more representative of what usually happens with rookie free agents than that of Duck, who logged 342 defensive snaps.

Over the past 10 years, we count 23 rookie free agents who found their way onto the 53-man roster and quick math tells you that's an average of 2.3 per year.

The Dolphins had four UDFAs on the 53-man roster at one point or another in 2015, 2019 and 2023, though 2019 was an outlier as the rebulding/reset/tanking year.

In 2023, tight end Julian Hill, running back Chris Brooks and defensive tackle Brandon Pili all made the initial 53-man roster and were joined late in the season by cornerback Ethan Bonner. But Hill is the only one who has gotten significant playing time for the Dolphins.

The best hope for the Dolphins is to unearth another Kader Kohou, who is headed into his fourth season with Miami after signing his tender as a restricted free agent, three years after he arrived as a rookie free agent from Texas A&M-Commerce.

With 38 starts in three seasons, Kohou is the gold standard for Dolphins UDFAs of the past 10 years.

Others who have made contributions, to one extent or another, including CB Nik Needham, WR Preston Williams and guard Robert Jones, who started 17 games last year before leaving as an unrestricted free agent this offseason to sign with the Dallas Cowboys.

Can somebody from the 2025 UDFA class one day can start 17 games for the Dolphins like Jones did in 2024? That would be good, but the reality is it would be foolish to count on it.