How Badly Do the Miami Dolphins Need to Upgrade the Skill Positions?

Until further evidence is presented, the 2026 season for the Miami Dolphins will be about developing their young players and evaluating whether Malik Willis can be their franchise quarterback.

In a perfect world, the Dolphins would be able to accomplish both goals while also competing for a playoff spot (or more), but the reality is that all the talent and accompanying cap space that left will make the latter almost impossible — it's not a coincidence that so many in the national media after predicting really bad things for Miami in 2026.

One question that has arisen is whether the Dolphins can get a fair assessment of Willis' long-range potential with what appears now as a very, um, underwhelming group of wide receivers and tight ends.

And to that, we say unequivocally absolutely.

And, as Exhibit A, we turn to the New England Patriots, circa 2024.

CAN THE DOLPHINS BECOME PATRIOTS 2.0?

The 2024 New England Patriots stumbled to a 4-13 finish with rookie quarterback Drake Maye posting a rather uninspiring 88.1 passer rating.

To be fair to Maye, he was operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL that season and the six players who started at wide receiver that season were DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton and Javon Baker.

Is that really an appreciably better wide receiver group than what the Dolphins currently have with rookie standout (so far) Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and Kevin Coleman Jr., not to mention Chris Bell once he starts practicing?

And this is where we'll point out that Maye's running backs were Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, a solid tandem but also nowhere near as explosive as De'Von Achane.

We'll go ahead and give an edge at tight end to Hunter Henry because we still don't know exactly what Greg Dulcich will be able to do over the course of a full season, but it's also not like Maye was throwing to Rob Gronkowski.

And let's also note that 2024 New England offensive line was ranked dead last in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. The 2026 Dolphins group has questions to answer, but also features two former first-round picks, two second-round picks and an All-Pro center, so let's assume it will be at least better than 32nd.

So it's really not a stretch to say that even now Willis has a similar, at the very least, supporting cast on offense as Maye had in 2024.

And this is where we'll stress again about making sure not to get caught up in stats because regardless of Maye's pedestrian passing numbers in 2024, it was pretty clear simply watching him that New England had something there at quarterback.

The same goes for Willis in 2026.

GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley will make their evaluation about Willis based on how he handles the offense and performs — regardless of statistics.

That's why there should be no numbers to target for the Dolphins to conclude Willis is the man at quarterback for the foreseeable future.

Sullivan and Hafley will know, and it will come down to the eyeball test.

If, for example, he ends up with the exact same stats as Maye in 2024 — 66.6 completion percentage, 15 TD, 10 INT, the 88.1 passer rating, 421 rushing yards — his evaluation still is going to come down to how he looked rather than how his numbers looked.

Without question, Willis' stats probably would benefit from some upgrading in the receiving corps (wide receiver and tight end), but the notion that the Dolphins can't get a proper evaluation without that is just flat-out silly from this vantage point.

MALIK AND JOSH ALLEN

Want another example?

Check out Josh Allen and his rookie season with the Buffalo Bills in 2018.

His starting wide receivers that year: Zay Jones, Robert Foster, Kelvin Benjamin, Isaiah McKenzie, Andre Holmes, Ray-Ray McCloud, Deonte Thompson, Terrelle Pryor.

Again, tell me that's a significantly better group than what Miami has right now.

The starting tight end was former Dolphins draft pick Charles Clay, a solid player but hardly a difference-maker.

Allen did have LeSean McCoy at running back, but he was toward the end of his very good NFL career and not anywhere near the same caliber then as Achane is right now.

So it was that Allen finished with poor stats surrounded by a mediocre supporting cast and yet — through his bouts of inaccuracy throwing the ball — the signs were there.

Allen's passer rating that year was 67.9 and he threw more picks than interceptions.

The one big difference between those two Allen and Maye seasons and the upcoming Willis season with the Dolphins is that the former were rookie first-round picks and Willis is a fifth-year free agent. But he's just as unknown of an NFL quarterback commodity as Allen and Maye were in 2018 and 2024 because of his lack of starts.

The Dolphins also haven't made quite the same investment in Willis as the Bills and Patriots had in Allen and Maye, but the process should be the same.

And if Willis is to be THAT guy for the Dolphins, he'll be able to show it in 2026 even if his supporting cast isn't anywhere near playoff-caliber and his success in that regard won't and shouldn't be dependent on team results or individual stats.

If Willis is the guy, the Dolphins will know.

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