Dolphins UDFA Class (Again) Earns High Marks

Before the Miami Dolphins stepped onto the field on the first day of rookie minicamp, they announced their 2026 undrafted free agent class — and it once again was one that earned some high praise.

NFL analyst Thor Nystrom rated this Dolphins UDFA class as the best in the AFC, and second in the NFL only behind the New Orleans Saints. The rankings were based on Nystrom’s pre-draft rankings and marked the second consecutive year he gave Miami high marks in the AFC.

“The Dolphins’ new administration was effectively able to sell better odds of making its 53 to agents, and wound up adding a ton of UDFA talent to an already strong draft haul,” Nystrom said.

Nystrom highlighted edge rusher Mason Reiger, DL Rene Konga and RB Le’Veon Moss when discussing this rating.

Reiger certainly has a chance to make the Dolphins 53-man roster, considering the edge rusher group is one of the weaker positions on the roster. NFL draft analyst Jordan Reid listed Reiger at No. 121 on his big board, which would place him at the very last pick of Round 3.

Reiger going undrafted had a lot to do with his injury history. He missed all of 2024 to a serious knee injury that required multiple surgeries. But in 2025, Reiger played in all 12 games for the Wisconsin Badgers and finished with 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Konga joins a defensive line group that includes Zach Sieler, along with second-year players Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, and Zeek Biggers. Making this roster could be difficult for Konga because the Dolphins invested draft capital at this position last year.

In the case of Moss, he joins a running backs group led by superstar De’Von Achane, along with Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II and Donovan Edwards. While GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said at draft time that Achane was "not available" for trade, his future in Miami will remain uncertain until he is given a contract extension.

The other notable UDFA who will inevitably get attention from fans and media is quarterback Mark Gronowski. Even though it’s obvious that Malik Willis will be the Week 1 starter, it was surprising to some that the Dolphins did not use any of their 13 draft picks on a quarterback following the release of Tua Tagovailoa.

Gronowski will have the opportunity to compete with Cam Miller for the QB3 spot on the roster. If Gronowski can impress in training camp and the preseason, he could potentially put himself in position to compete for the backup role. However, Quinn Ewers’ job as backup to Willis likely will be secure going into 2026 because of his on-field experience in 2025.

Here is the full list of 2026 Dolphins UDFAs:

C Jim Bonifas
T Kevin Cline
QB Mark Gronowski
RB Anthony Hankerson
DL Rene Konga
WR Donaven McCulley
EDGE Rodney McGraw
S Louis Moore
RB Le'Veon Moss
EDGE Mason Reiger
DL Khalil Saunders

BACK-TO-BACK TOP UDFA RANKINGS FOR MIAMI

These 11 undrafted rookies along with the 13 players selected by Miami in the 2026 draft will make for an interesting storyline leading up to training camp. The team is in the midst of extreme roster turnover ahead of the 2026 season with over 50 newcomers joining the team.

Interestingly, not only is this the second year in a row that Nystrom ranked the Dolphins’ UDFA class as the best in the AFC, he had the Miami UDFA class No. 1 in the entire NFL last year.

That class included 16 players — CB B.J. Adams, WR Andrew Armstrong, LB Eugene Asante, WR Monaray Baldwin, TE Jalin Conyers, WR A.J. Henning, LS Kneeland Hibbett, DT Alex Huntley, OL Ted Kushi, RB Nate Noel, OL Josh Priebe, CB Ethan Robinson, DT Tre'vonn Rybka, S John Saunders, WR Theo Wease Jr., OL Addison West.

While most of these players did not impact the Dolphins in 2025, there are a few who have remained with the Dolphins and are still looking to find a spot on the depth chart this season. The players on this list who are still with the Dolphins are Conyers, Henning, Huntley, Priebe, Robinson and Wease.

Of this 2025 UDFA class, Wease was the standout as he was given a chance to see regular season action during the Dolphins' final three games of the 2025 season.

Wease built a solid chemistry with quarterback Quinn Ewers in practice during the season. When Ewers was given the opportunity to start, Wease was brought up to the active roster. Wease caught six passes for 139 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown catch in the Dolphins’ Week 17 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While it is reasonable to believe most of the undrafted players will not make an impact, the rebuilding phase the Dolphins find themselves in will make a great opportunity for them to compete for spots on the roster.

New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has consistently talked about his desire to infuse competition when it comes to earning roster spots and snaps during the season. The undrafted free agents of 2026 and 2025 should be viewing the rest of this offseason and training camp as their opportunity to get on the field and make an impression on the NFL stage.

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