Dolphins Poup-Porri: Willis, Expectations and Other Thoughts Heading into Week 1

The long waiting is almost over, the Miami Dolphins on the verge of opening their 2026 regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

The time between the end of the 2025 season to the start of this new one wasn't different than previous years, but it just felt that way maybe because there are more and more media outlets, podcasters, analysts, content creators coming up with more and more talking points — sometimes legit, sometimes forced — to fill the gap between meaningful games.

In any event, enough with the prelims, all the talk about what to expect, what might happen because starting Sunday it will become about what the Dolphins showed in that opener against the Raiders, what it means moving forward after that, and what changes need to be made.

There is still some time to kill, though, before that 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday, so here are some assorted observations regarding the Dolphins and their 2026 season outlook.

Call it a Dolphins Poup-porri (get it?), if you will.

MALIK WILLIS AND THE OFFENSE

-- Wrote a couple of months back that I haven't anticipated the debut of a new Dolphins starting quarterback since I can remember, maybe going all the way back to the days of Dan Marino, and nothing has changed my mind as it pertains to Malik Willis.

-- A lot of it, for sure, has to do with the unknown and starting to get the answer as to whether the Dolphins have their quarterback of the future in place, but Willis' skill set is unlike anything we've seen in Miami since ... who? Ryan Tannehill actually was the closest in terms of matching Willis' combination of arm strength and mobility, though he was lacking in other areas and therefore always had a ceiling as a starting quarterback.

-- Based on his skill set and his obvious intangibles (work ethic, leadership), Willis has a very high ceiling. It doesn't mean he'll get there, it just means the possibilities are very intriguing indeed.

-- It says here Willis more than likely will prove himself capable of getting the Dolphins where they want to go eventually, though I make no assurances when it comes to him staying healthy. And that obviously will be part of the equation.

-- Those expecting De'Von Achane to be more featured than ever because of the lack of proven comomodities at wide receiver after the depatures of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will be in for a rude awakening.

-- The reality is the Dolphins offense ran through Achane the past two years after the downfield passing game disappeared, and Achane actually shouldn't be the end-all, be-all on offense like the past two years — because Willis will be a bigger factor than Tua was the past two seasons.

-- This isn't saying Achane will disappear from the offense, but don't expect 30 touches a game.

-- The Dolphins very well might have something special with their three rookie wide receivers — Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. — but I would suggest tempering your expectations for 2026. It's not that common (yes, it does happen) for any rookie wide receiver to make a big splash immediately and let's not forget that Bell is returning after an ACL injury.

-- It also says here, as stated before, that Bell will become the best of those three.

-- Kadyn Proctor has the look of somebody who will become a really, really NFL offensive lineman. It just might not show up as obviously as rookie first-round picks who play other positions. Like, say, defensive end. Please keep that in mind if Rueben Bain Jr. gets a sack here and there and that highlight keep showing up. That won't mean the Dolphins missed the boat in taking Proctor over Bain.

CHOP AND THE DEFENSE

-- Chop Robinson was the talk of training camp with his performance and his new look, but unfortunately that doesn't mean squat as we arrived for the start of a very big regular season for him.

-- Robinson is the key player for the Dolphins pass rush, which could be a major weakness if Robinson doesn't deliver in his third NFL season. For Robinson, a big season means the Dolphins likely will exercise his fifth-year option, otherwise he'll play out his rookie deal needing a big performance in 2027 to secure a big second contract. But no pressure.

-- So what does 2026 look like for Robinson? His sack production almost assuredly will increase, but not so sure about him blowing up and reaching double digits. It does say here he'll be significantly better against the run, to the point where he earns more snaps because of it.

-- If he doesn't, then the Dolphins have a problem on their hands. You can't have a first-round pick who has to be a rotational player because he's too much of a liability against the run.

-- Another key for the Dolphins pass rush is Zach Sieler, and the question is whether he can go back to his 2023 and 2024 pass-rushing ways when he reached double digits. That was a major feat for any interior defensive lineman and we're not sure he can get back to that level, in part because he simply doesn't have enough help around him anymore.

-- As Jeff Hafley was right to mention, it's not all about getting sacks for Robinson or Sieler, but they do need to affect the quarterback more than they did in 2025.

-- Jacob Rodriguez actually might be the player to watch on defense, and he's got all the ingredients to become a star, the athleticism, the work habits, the instincts (a lot of that coming from his background as a quarterback), but let's hold off on any Zach Thomas comparison for a bit. It's very tempting to do because of the similarities, but Thomas was an outlier.

-- We mentioned this being a big year for Robinson in terms of his contract, and the same applies to JuJu Brents. We've said it before and we'll say it again, the guy looks like a bona fide big-time cornerback and looked really good for the Dolphins last year, but remember that availability is the most important ability (or something like that). If Brents can stay healthy and deliver on his promise, he's a building block for the Dolphins; if he gets injured again and has to miss some time, he's on his way out as a free agent next offseason.

JEFF HAFLEY AND THE TEAM OUTLOOK

-- As we wrote this week, the 2026 season isn't about the won-loss record for the Dolphins, though nobody wants a repeat not of 2019 but of 2007 when Miami finished 1-15.

-- What's a best-case scenario in terms of records? Well, everything starts with staying healthy because there's just no depth here, something GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has acknowledged. And then Malik Willis has to deliver on his promise. Both those issues play out favorably, then maybe the Dolphins can go something like 7-10.

-- Could the Dolphins shock and do better than that, and even make a run at the playoffs? We've learned never to say never, but it really does stretch the imagination to go there — no matter how cool it would be.

-- For those who'll bring up 2008, don't forget the Dolphins had stocked up on proven veterans that offseason before Chad Pennington fell into their lap at quarterback. This isn't that scenario.

-- Here's hoping Jeff Hafley is uber-aggressive with his defense and isn't afraid to blitz even if, yes, it does result in big plays given up at times. This is especially true if the pass rush can't deliver.

-- Keep an eye on the special teams. It's often an area that provides a clue as to whether a team is well coached.

Add us as a preferred source on Google