Dolphins Post-Super Bowl LIX Power Rankings Roundup

Now that the 2024 season is over, it's time for the Miami Dolphins and every other NFL team to start retooling their roster and figuring out what moves to make so that they give themselves the best chance to reach Super Bowl LX.

Some teams, though, have more work to do than others and others are closer to contention, and the Dolphins find themselves in the first group, at least in the eyes of the national media outlets that did power rankings after the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Sunday rout of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Based on our survey of NFL power rankings from eight national outlets — Pro Football Talk, NFL.com, Pro Football Network, The Athletic, The Sporting News, FOX Sports, Yahoo! Sports, and Bleacher Report — the Dolphins stand in the bottom half of NFL teams heading into the offseason.

The Dolphins' average ranking came in at 18.1, slightly up from the 18.4 at the end of the regular season.

The Dolphins rankings ranged from 16 to 22.

Here's the breakdown of the Dolphins' eight power rankings spots following Super Bowl LIX, along with the associated commentary.

MIAMI DOLPHINS POWER RANKINGS

ESPN

Ranking: 20

Analysis on describing the offseason in three words (change the culture): After a disappointing 2024 season, multiple players and coach Mike McDaniel spoke to a teamwide need for accountability. McDaniel said several players were fined numerous times for being late to meetings, and he would have to find more effective punitive measures in the future. This is behavior unbecoming of a team with championship aspirations. As general manager Chris Grier constructs the 2025 roster, he must ensure the correct leaders are in place to foster a culture of accountability on a team that could make dramatic changes if it misses the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

NFL.com

Ranking: 18

Analysis: There's something to rally around in Miami, with Tua Tagovailoa returning to health to run the Dolphins. Mike McDaniel is 28-23 as Miami's coach; he's 25-16 when Tua starts and 3-7 when another QB starts. There's also the news that Tyreek Hill now wants to remain in South Beach, having issued Tagovailoa a "public apology" for comments at the end of the season that suggested the receiver was ready to leave the team. If the Dolphins' competitive status seems volatile, it's not hard to figure out why that's the case. With Tagovailoa and a resurgent Hill at their respective peaks, they certainly could contend, especially with the division-rival Jets and Patriots in the midst of rebuilds. But counting on both players to be at their best and most available hasn't always been a sure bet. The Dolphins somehow must find a way, bound by salary-cap restrictions, to bolster the team around Tagovailoa and Hill. That won't come easily.

Pro Football Network

Ranking: 16

Analysis: The Miami Dolphins almost rescued their season from the ashes in the final few weeks but ultimately fell short of a playoff spot. With Tua Tagovailoa, this team is a potential playoff contender, but durability concerns make it hard to trust him to play all 17 games, having done it just once in his career. The defense finished the season ranked 11th, but they look set to lose several players to free agency. Replacing them is going to be a priority, but that also has to be balanced with improving an offensive line that ranked 26th in OL+. There are a lot of needs to try and fix in one offseason, so whether they can do it all is going to be interesting to watch. The Dolphins, at their very best with Tua healthy and an improved offensive line, could be a top-10 team and a fringe Super Bowl contender. However, there are simply too many unknowns to be too bullish on them at this point.

The Athletic

Ranking: 20

Analysis on what's new? Tyreek Hill's location, maybe: The wide receiver will be heading into his 10th season in the fall, and he might be doing it somewhere other than Miami. He suggested as much when the season ended, although he walked that back last week on the “Up & Adams Show” while apologizing to Tua Tagovailoa and his teammates. Hill is under contract with the Dolphins through 2027 (and his 2026 cap hit is scheduled to be $51.9 million!), but his mercurial nature may be wearing thin.

Yahoo! Sports

Ranking: 21

Analysis: The Dolphins have a lot of work to do. They have to figure out if Tyreek Hill really wants to be there, like he says he does. It sounds like they need a culture fix as well. And a bad salary-cap situation will make it tough to retain some key free agents, like safetyJevon Holland.

Bleacher Report

Ranking: 19

Analysis: I'm not quite sure where the Dolphins go from here. They have an offense built to work with Tagovailoa and virtually no other quarterback. He carries significant injury concerns, and it sure feels like the window with Tyreek Hill is closing fast. Miami's offensive line carries significant question marks, and its defense—which could lose safety Jevon Holland in free agency—is more good than great. Miami also faces a $14.2 million cap deficit, which means improving the roster will be a challenge. Either Chris Grier finds creative ways to get it done, or he and Mike McDaniel could be looking for work in 2026. Right now, I view the Dolphins as a borderline playoff team that could reach the divisional round if they get hot in 2025 or land in the AFC East basement if even a few things go wrong.

FOX Sports

Ranking: 22

Analysis: Like the Steelers, the Dolphins are a better team than this ranking suggests. It's just hard to get excited about them. They have 30 free agents this year and are almost $12 million over the salary cap. Tyreek Hill ruffled feathers at the end of the regular season when he said he might want out. Tua Tagovailoa's health is a question that will continue to linger. This is a solid enough team, but it's hard to imagine them being anything more than that as currently constructed.

The Sporting News

Ranking: 19

Analysis: The Dolphins are in a bit of an offensive identity crisis after losing some of their passing edge last season. The defense is trending toward being the better unit soon.