Dolphins Rookie Power Rankings 2.0: Who Stands Out Among Promising Group

Through all their roster moves since the start of training camp, the Miami Dolphins will enter their second preseason game still with an inordinate amount of rookies, 23 to be exact.

That group consists of the team's NFL-high 13 picks in the 2026 draft, along with 10 undrafted free agents.

A good group of those rookies have impressed so far in training camp, which wraps up next week ahead of the preseason finale.

Because of where the Dolphins are as an organization, a lot of those rookies will play key roles this upcoming season and a good number of them will wind up starting, whether on a full-time or occasional basis.

Of course, not all 23 rookies will make the 53-man roster because that would defy all logic, but who knows?

With that background, here's our latest power ranking of every Dolphins rookie based on potential, likely impact in 2026 and training camp performance, divided into a few tiers.

CLEAR STARTERS

1. G Kadyn Proctor — Because he plays on the interior of the offensive line, it's been difficult for Proctor to stand out the way some of his rookie teammates have with highlight plays, but the bottom line is Proctor has looked every bit the part so far.

2. CB Chris Johnson — Johnson had perhaps his best practice of training camp Tuesday, and the only question when it comes to his role this season will be how many snaps he'll get in the slot as opposed to outside. But there's every reason to feel confident about what he'll bring.

3. WR Caleb Douglas — When we talk about highlights, Douglas really stands out here. It seems almost a foregone conclusion at this time that he'll be one of the starting wide receivers.

4. EDGE/LB Trey Moore — Jeff Hafley has spoken about Moore's versatility since the spring and we've seen it in action. What has stood out about Moore this summer is his tackling ability.

POTENTIAL STARTERS

5. LB Jacob Rodriguez — Rodriguez has made the occasional splash play during training camp and it was telling that he was listed as one of two options at a linebacker spot on the depth chart along with Tyrel Dodson. While he's ranked behind Moore here, he's still got the bigger upside because of his playmaking ability.

6. TE Will Kacmarek — So far, so good in terms of Kacmarek providing the Dolphins with good blocking.

7. WR Chris Bell — Bell's activation off NFI was the big news of the week for the Dolphins, but the question now will be exactly when he could start making an impact. It still says here that Bell will be at least a contributor at some point in 2026.

LIKELY CONTRIBUTORS

8. WR Kevin Coleman Jr. — Coleman didn't waste any time in his return to practice Tuesday in making an impact, and he figures to have a role on offense even if he doesn't start.

9. LB Kyle Louis — Before he started taking snaps at safety, it had been a fairly forgettable training camp for Louis and exactly how much help he'll provide on defense in 2026 is a fair question to ask at this time.

10. S Michael Taaffe — Taaffe will make the roster and could help out at safety in a pinch, though nothing that's happened in camp has changed our opinion that special teams will be where he'll make most of his contributions as a rookie.

LOOKING TO MAKE THE ROSTER

11. TE Seydou Traore — While Traore certainly doesn't look out of place, there's nothing we've seen to suggest he's a lock to make the roster and his drop in the preseason opener didn't help.

12. EDGE Max Llewellyn — The seventh-round pick out of Iowa really has come in recent days and has put himself in position to have a decent shot, maybe even better than average, of making the 53-man roster.

13. FB D.J. Herman — His drop in the preseason opener notwithstanding, the undrafted free agent and former linebacker has done his job in trying to convince the coaches to keep a pure fullback on the roster.

14. G DJ Campbell — While his status as a draft pick will help, Campbell is no lock to make the roster and the fact he's listed as third team on the depth chart — and as "either or" at that — is not exactly encouraging.

15. S Louis Moore — After a good showing in the spring, Moore has been way less noticeable in training camp and now might be less than 50-50 to make the 53.

LONG SHOTS

16. WR Donaven McCulley — McCulley has done his part in training camp, but he'll have a hard time earning a spot in a crowded WR room.

17. EDGE Rodney McGraw — The emergence of Llewellyn is not going to help McGraw's cause. McGraw has shown flashes, but not enough consistency, to stick.

18. C Jim Bonifas — Bonifas had a long way to go to beat out Andrew Meyer, and we still don't see it happening.

19. CB Ahmari Harvey — The waiver claim from the Pittsburgh Steelers just arrived and still has to be considered a long shot.

20. DT Cam Rice — The same applies to Rice as to Harvey, though injuries on the defensive line have given him his opening.

21. T Kevin Cline — Cline has the benefit of having played for new assistant O-line coach Matt Applebaum at Boston College, but it's probably not going to be enough to get him on the 53. He does look like a good practice squad candidate, though.

22. TE Jeremiah Franklin — Another waiver claim, this one from New England, Franklin hasn't done enough in his brief time to suggest he's got much of a shot to make the 53.

23. QB Mark Gronowski — The Dolphins bringing back Gronowski after first cutting him suggested way more they needed another arm for practice than regrets about letting him go in the first place. Gronowski has shown very good mobility in camp, but his passing hasn't been good enough.

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