How Anderson Might Be Parlaying Familiarity Into Starting Role for Dolphins

Miami Dolphins safety Zayne Anderson has not been in a situation like this before.

When Anderson was brought to Green Bay three years ago, his job description was pretty clear. He was there to be a special teams ace, and mentor Evan Williams and Javon Bullard, whom the Packers drafted in April of 2024.

Anderson played in Green Bay for two seasons and did his job. He was one of their special teams staples, and made the most of his opportunities when injuries forced him into action.

After the 2025 season, however, Anderson followed his former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley down to Miami looking for a chance to be more than just a special teams player. He wanted a chance to start on defense.

GOOD TIMING FOR ANDERSON

If there were ever a year for Anderson to have an opportunity like that, it would be 2026 thanks to his familiarity within the defense. He’s ahead of the curve on the mental side of the game from some of his teammates at a position that is not flush with established veterans.

Yeah, I think there's a lot of similarities in what we did in the two years in Green Bay and here now,” Hafley said Friday. “There's a lot of new stuff, too, but he's got a grasp on really how I kind of think and how I see things in the back end and he's hearing me give him a lot of the same coaching points, because I'm in that room a lot, and I was in that room a lot. So he's hearing a lot of the same things from year three now. I think there's a comfort level that he trusts me and I trust him. At the same time, there's really good competition in that room right now and I will say, Zayne has done a nice job. Again, he needs to be consistent and the Washington week, it will be exciting to see him go up against another team and play in these preseason games. But he's become a dependable guy back there.”

Dependability can be a big key for a coaching staff that is trying to establish itself in a new environment, which plays to Anderson’s favor as well. That dependability starts with familiarity.

“It's huge,” Anderson said after practice Friday. “I think having some years of experience just building on it and then relearning it, I think it's always good to relearn it. This is supposed to be my third or fourth time relearning it. We installed in the spring, installed in the fall. And so it's nice, I love it. I feel like I'm able to take steps ahead of just knowing the basics of the defense.”

Not The Only Connection

Anderson’s connection to Hafley is not the only one that brought him down to Green Bay. There are other coaches and members of the front office that came to Miami that came to Green Bay, but there is one connection Anderson has that is more unique.

Malik Willis.

Yes, the starting quarterback in Miami is someone who Anderson has seen a lot of. Anderson was a reserve safety while he was in Green Bay, and saw Willis plenty during training camp in Green Bay last year as Willis would be working with the second team offense. Willis’ ability to throw the ball is something that Anderson says made him better.

“Malik, we would go against each other in practice, and he would always he would throw some of these balls and he puts so much spin on the ball, throws it so hard,” Anderson said. “There were some of them I missed. And so we were honestly, every day after practice like, dang, bro, you got me on that one. It's the same thing now. We sit together right next to each other in team meeting. He's like, you got me yesterday, but we're going back and forth. We're competing every day, and that's what I love about him. I want him to be the most confident, the best quarterback because I believe he's that dude. And he obviously sees the same in me. And so being able to go back and forth, he has a good day. He might get something on me. I might get something on him. It's been cool.”

Of course, while they’re competing in practice, the goal for each player is to remember they are on the same team. When the real games matter, reps in practice can allow players on offense and defense to learn from each other. Willis and Anderson have cultivated that type of relationship up in Green Bay and it’s carried over to Miami.

“It's huge, being able to talk looks,” Anderson said. “We talk a lot about disguise and I'm able to ask Malik, what do you see on this one? Was it a true disguise? Did we really sell what we're trying to sell or did you see it how it unfolded? And so he's very transparent about that, and he'll tell us straight. He's like, yeah, that wasn't a good look, or you guys need to do this better. I think it's great being able to have that communication with one another.”

Is it Anderson's Time?

Anderson’s ability to perform in practice, and also help make his quarterback better could be something that puts him in line to start when the season begins. Hafley has talked about Anderson’s dependability, which will be important early in the season.

The other reality is there are not a lot of established players in Miami’s secondary. Hafley would rotate his safeties in Green Bay, but he was able to do that because of the dependability that Xavier McKinney brought to his defense.

McKinney’s steadiness brought the ability to rotate Bullard and Evan Williams during Hafley’s first season in Green Bay.

Anderson is not likely to have a First Team All-Pro season like McKinney did in 2024, but his knowledge of the defense could afford Hafley the ability to mix and match other players next to him.

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