Five Rising Dolphins Players And Their 53-Man Roster Outlook Before the Preseason Finale

The Miami Dolphins offered opportunities for young players this training camp with a roster in flux as the result of a series of cost-cutting, franchise-shifting moves, and there have been some noteworthy performances from unexpected sources.

When the Dolphins reveal their initial 53-man roster around the 4 p.m. ET deadline Sunday, we probably should expect a handful of players who probably didn't register much of a blip on the fans' radar at the start of training camp but have shown they belong.

Here is our breakdown of five young players who have worked their way at the very least into the conversation for the 53-man roster heading into the preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.

FIVE RISING DOLPHINS PLAYERS TO WATCH

DT KEITH COOPER JR.

Cooper has been on the Dolphins roster since January when he was signed to a reserve/future contract and performed in relative obscurity until about haflway through training camp. And then it became impossible to not notice him because he kept making plays, whether against the run or as a pass rusher. And that strong work continued not only in practice but in the preseason games as well, to the point where he should be considered a possibility for the 53 and a lock for the practice squad (if he's waived and clears waivers). "I see a quick guy who uses his hands who can do a good job anchoring in the run game and he's got some juice in the pass game, which I think with him the confidence is showing, right?" defensive coordinator Sean Duggan said Wednesday. "He made a couple plays. Now he has some confidence. Now he's playing faster, and I think that's building upon itself with him."

G/C JOSH PRIEBE

Priebe is in his second camp with the Dolphins after signing as a rookie free agent in 2025, and the growth in his game is pretty obvious. On a team without many clear answers when it comes to backup offensive linemen, Priebe could be a consideration for a spot on the 53 and the fact he was used, even briefly, at center in the preseason game against the New York Giants to evaluate his versatility should be seen as a good sign for him.

RB CARLOS WASHINGTON JR.

The Dolphins have an absolute star at running back with De'Von Achane, but the backups have been up and down for a couple of years, so the opportunity is there for a young player to gain notice. And that's just what Washington, woh was signed in May, has done. While he's not a recent draft pick like Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II, Washington has looked almost on a par with those two. "He's a guy that's kind of just quietly had a good camp," head coach Jeff Hafley said this week. "He's explosive. He runs hard. He's got a good center of gravity. He can break tackles. He just works. I have a lot of respect for how he's approached every single day. He just puts his head down and goes." Now, though, his path to a spot on the 53 became more complicated after the Dolphins traded for Rams running back Jarquez Hunter.

FB D.J. HERMAN

This one is a fascinating case, maybe because Herman was a linebacker at San Diego State before coming to Miami for a workout at fullback and then playing well enough to be given a contract. And then Herman has just continued to plow, to the point where he's put himself squarely in the conversation for a roster spot. Herman has shown himself to be a willing blocker and also has shown good hands as a receiver, pretty impressive for a converted linebacker. Herman has benefited from the absence of free agent pick-up Ben Sims, who was taken snaps as a fullback/H-back before he was sidelined with an injury.

LB CAM RILEY

It's almost absurd to think of Riley having a shot at making the 53 considering he arrived just last week, but Riley has been making up for lost time with impressive performances in practice and the preseason game against the Giants. A rash of injuries should give Riley another long look against Atlanta and maybe in the end he'll prove too good for the Dolphins to simply let go.

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