Breaking Down the Miami Dolphins 2026 53-Man Roster Construction From All Angles

In this story:
Now that the Miami Dolphins are days away from their 2026 regular season opener and have gone through the process of cutting their training camp roster and then made some adjustments, we break down the 53-man roster in all types of ways.
As a bonus, we examine how the make-up of the team compares to the team the Dolphins took into the season opener at Indianapolis a year ago.
DOLPHINS ROSTER BY EXPERIENCE
ROOKIES (13) — FB DJ Herman, WR Caleb Douglas, WR Chris Bell, WR Kevin Coleman Jr., TE Justin Joly, TE Will Kacmarek, TE Seydou Traore, G DJ Campbell, G/T Kadyn Proctor, LB Jacob Rodriguez, CB Chris Johnson, S Michael Taaffe, S Kyle Louis
FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS (5) — QB Kyle McCord, T Chukuwebuka Godrick, DT Keith Cooper Jr., LB Jackson Woodard, LS Tucker Addington
SECOND-YEAR PLAYERS (9) — QB Brady Cook, RB Ollie Gordon II, G Jonah Savaiinaea, DT Zeek Biggers, DT Jordan Phillips, S Dante Trader Jr., CB Jason Marshall Jr., S Julius Wood, CB Reese Taylor
THIRD-YEAR PLAYERS (9): RB Jaylen Wright, WR Malik Washington, WR Ryan Miller, T Patrick Paul, OL Andrew Meyer, T Jarrett Kingston, G/T Caedan Wallace, OLB Chop Robinson, CB Marcellas Dial Jr.
FOURTH-YEAR PLAYERS (4) — RB De'Von Achane, EDGE Robert Beal Jr., CB JuJu Brents, S Zayne Anderson
FIFTH-YEAR PLAYERS (4) — QB Malik Willis, WR Jalen Tolbert, TE Greg Dulcich, EDGE Malik Herring
SIXTH-YEAR PLAYERS (1) — K Riley Patterson
SEVENTH-YEAR PLAYERS (5) — C Aaron Brewer, T Austin Jackson, EDGE Josh Uche, LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Willie Gay Jr.
EIGHTH-YEAR PLAYERS (0)
NINTH-YEAR PLAYERS (2) — DT Zach Sieler, LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.
NINTH-YEAR PLAYERS (0)
10TH-YEAR PLAYERS (0)
11TH-YEAR PLAYERS (0)
12TH-YEAR PLAYERS (1) — P Bradley Pinion
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026 — This is how much younger the 2026 Dolphins are: They have 27 players, more than half the active roster, who have less than two years of experience, compared to 16 in 2025. This obviously is the result of the roster overhaul and the accumulation of picks in the 2026 draft.
DOLPHINS ROSTER BY METHOD OF ACQUISITION
DOLPHINS DRAFT PICKS (23) — G/T Kadyn Proctor (1-2026), CB Chris Johnson (1-2026), LB Jacob Rodriguez (2-2026), WR Caleb Douglas (3-2026), TE Will Kacmarek (3-2026), WR Chris Bell (3-2026), S Kyle Louis (4-2026), S Michael Taaffe (5-2026), WR Kevin Coleman (5-2026), TE Seydou Traore (5-2026), G DJ Campbell (6-2026), G Jonah Savaiinaea (2-2025), DT Jordan Phillips (5-2025), CB Jason Marshall (5-2025), S Dante Trader Jr. (5-2025), RB Ollie Gordon II (6-2025), DT Zeek Biggers (7-2025), LB Chop Robinson (1-2024), T Patrick Paul (2-2024), RB Jaylen Wright (4-2024), WR Malik Washington (6-2024), RB De'Von Achane (3-2023), OL Austin Jackson (1-2020)
UNDRAFTED ROOKIE FREE AGENTS (2) — C Andrew Meyer (2024), FB DJ Herman (2026)
UFA SIGNINGS (8) —OL Aaron Brewer (TEN), LB Jordyn Brooks (SEA), LB Willie Gay Jr. (NO), LB Ronnie Harrison Jr. (ATL), P Bradley Pinion (ATL), WR Jalen Tolbert (DAL), EDGE Josh Uche (PHI), QB Malik Willis (GB)
TRADES (2) — QB Kyle McCord (GB), G/T Caedan Wallace (NE)
WAIVERS (10) — DT Zach Sieler (BAL), CB JuJu Brents (IND), QB Brady Cook (NYJ), CB Marcellas Dial Jr. (DAL), T Chukwuebuka Godrick (KC), TE Justin Joly (DEN), T Jarrett Kingston (HOU), WR Ryan Miller (NYG), CB Reese Taylor (DEN), S Julius Wood (DAL)
FREE AGENTS (8) — DT Keith Cooper Jr., TE Greg Dulcich, K Riley Patterson, LB Jackson Woodard, LS Tucker Addington, S Zayne Anderson, EDGE Robert Beal Jr., EDGE Malik Herring
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026 — The big difference here is the number of waiver wire pick-ups, with the 10 from 2026 representing double the total the Dolphins had last year. On the flip side, though, the 2025 opening-day roster had twice as many (16) free agents as this year.
DOLPHINS ROSTER BY ARRIVAL IN MIAMI
2019 (1) — DT Zach Sieler
2020 (1) — T Austin Jackson
2023 (1) — RB De'Von Achane
2024 (7) — OL Aaron Brewer, LB Jordyn Brooks, OL Andrew Meyer, LB Chop Robinson, T Patrick Paul, RB Jaylen Wright, WR Malik Washington
2025 (12) — RB Ollie Gordon II, G Jonah Savaiinaea, DT Jordan Phillips, DT Zeek Biggers, LB Willie Gay Jr., S Dante Trader Jr., CB JuJu Brents, CB Jason Marshall Jr., DT Keith Cooper Jr., TE Greg Dulcich, K Riley Patterson, LB Jackson Woodard
2026 (31) — G/T Kadyn Proctor, CB Chris Johnson, LB Jacob Rodriguez, WR Caleb Douglas, TE Will Kacmarek, WR Chris Bell, S Kyle Louis, S Michael Taaffe, WR Kevin Coleman Jr., TE Seydou Traore, G DJ Campbell, FB DJ Herman, QB Kyle McCord, G/T Caedan Wallace, QB Brady Cook, CB Marcellas Dial Jr., T Chukwuebuka Godrick, TE Justin Joly, T Jarrett Kingston, WR Ryan Miller, CB Reese Taylor, S Julius Wood, LS Tucker Addington, S Zayne Anderson, EDGE Robert Beal Jr., LB Ronnie Harrison Jr., EDGE Malik Herring, P Bradley Pinion, WR Jalen Tolbert, EDGE Josh Uche, QB Malik Willis
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026 — The total of 31 first-year Dolphins seems extraordinarily high, but the team had 26 in 2025. What's crazy is the number of players who had been with the Dolphins since at least 2023 went from 18 to a meager three.
DOLPHINS ROSTER BY AGE (as of Sept.8)
21 (2) — CB Chris Johnson, G/T Kadyn Proctor
22 (8) — RB Ollie Gordon II, G Jonah Savaiinaea, DT Zeek Biggers, DT Jordan Phillips, WR Chris Bell, G DJ Campbell, TE Justin Joly, S Kyle Louis,
23 (9) — RB Jaylen Wright, LB Chop Robinson, S Dante Trader Jr., WR Kevin Coleman Jr., DT Keith Cooper Jr., WR Caleb Douglas, TE Will Kacmarek, QB Kyle McCord, S Michael Taaffe
23 (8) — RB De'Von Achane, T Patrick Paul, CB Jason Marshall Jr., QB Brady Cook, FB DJ Herman, LB Jacob Rodriguez, TE Seydou Traore, LB Jackson Woodard
25 (4) — WR Malik Washington, CB Marcellas Dial Jr., T Chukwuebuka Godrick, S Julius Wood
26 (6) — OL Andrew Meyer, CB JuJu Brents, TE Greg Dulcich, T Jarrett Kingston, WR Ryan Miller, G/T Caedan Wallace
27 (7) — T Austin Jackson, EDGE Robert Beal Jr., K Riley Patterson, CB Reese Taylor, WR Jalen Tolbert, EDGE Josh Uche, QB Malik Willis
28 (4) — C Aaron Brewer, LB Willie Gay Jr., LB Jordyn Brooks, EDGE Malik Herring
29 (3) — LB Ronnie Harrison Jr., S Zayne Anderson, LS Tucker Addington
31 (1) — DT Zach Sieler
32 (1) — P Bradley Pinion
THE COMPARISON BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026 — Pretty sure you've seen by now the Dolphins have the youngest opening 53-man roster in the NFL, and the figures that stand out here involve players over 30 years old. It's gone from nine last year to only two, Sieler and new punter Bradley Pinion.
DOLPHINS ROSTER BY JERSEY NUMBER
0 RB Ollie Gordon II, 1 WR Jalen Tolbert, 2 QB Malik Willis, 3 CB Chris Johnson, 4 CB Jason Marshall Jr., 5 RB Jaylen Wright, 6 WR Malik Washington, 7 WR Caleb Douglas, 8 CB JuJu Brents, 9 EDGE Josh Uche
10 LB Jacob Rodriguez Tyreek Hill, 11 S Dante Trader Jr., 14 QB Kyle McCord, 15 QB Brady Cook, 16 S Michael Taaffe, 18 WR Chris Bell, 19 S Kyle Louis
20 LB Jordyn Brooks, 21 WR Kevin Coleman, 23 S Zayne Anderson, 24 CB Marcellas Dial Jr., 25 S Julius Wood, 28 RB De'Von Achane
34 FB DJ Herman, 35 CB Reese Taylor
40 LB Willie Gay Jr., 42 LB Jackson Woodard, 44 LB Chop Robinson, 46 LS Tucker Addington, 47 K Riley Patterson, 48 P Bradley Pinion
51 EDGE Robert Beal Jr., 52 T Patrick Paul, 55 OL Aaron Brewer, 56 LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.
60 OL Andrew Meyer, 62 T Jarrett Kingston, 63 G DJ Campbell
71 G Jonah Savaiinaea, 73 OL Austin Jackson, 74 G/T Kadyn Proctor, 77 G/T Caedan Wallace, 79 T Chukwuebuka Godrick
80 TE Justin Joly, 83 TE Seydou Traore, 84 WR Ryan Miller, 85 TE Greg Dulcich, 89 TE Will Kacmarek
90 EDGE Malik Herring, 92 DT Zach Sieler, 93 DT Zeek Biggers, 94 DT Jordan Phillips, 97 Keith Cooper Jr.

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI, host of the All Dolphins Podcast, and co-host of the Dolphins Collective. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.
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