Ranking the Dolphins Position Battles at Camp (With Projected Winners)

The Miami Dolphins will kick off training camp next week with a whole lot of new faces everywhere, from the front office to the coaching staff to the roster.

More than half the roster is comprised of newcomers, and as a result there are going to be more position battles than during your typical training camp.

Here's our rundown and ranking of the top eight position battles for the Dolphins this summer, along with our projections:

RANKING THE DOLPHINS POSITION BATTLES

1. SAFETY

The competitors: Lonnie Johnson Jr., Zayne Anderson, Louis Moore, Michael Taaffe

The outlook: This is a battle for the starting spot next to Dante Trader Jr., and it's completely wide open. Anderson has the advantage of his familiarity with Jeff Hafley from their time together in Green Bay. Johnson is a former second-round pick looking to revive his career. But Moore and Taaffe also could earn consideration.

The prediction: Tough call here, but we'll go with Johnson with a slight edge over Anderson.

2. WIDE RECEIVER

The competitors: Caleb Douglas, Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington, Kevin Coleman Jr., Tutu Atwell, Chris Bell

The outlook: This is a complete free-for-all with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle now gone. Based on credentials, Tolbert would probably have a bit of an edge heading into camp, but the opportunity is there for any of the three draft picks, assuming Bell comes off NFI quickly enough to becom a factor.

The prediction: Tolbert and Douglas are the opening-day starters, but there's a pretty even rotation that involves Washington, Atwell and Coleman until Bell starts contributing later in the season.

3. KICKER

The competitors: Riley Patterson, Zane Gonzalez

The outlook: We've said it before and we'll say it again, it was a bit strange to us that the Dolphins would sign Gonzalez as a free agent if they were just going to turn around and re-sign Patterson after he set a single-season franchise record for accuracy. The one edge Gonzalez does have is distance, though again it's hard to imagine walking away from a kicker who went 27-for-29.

The prediction: It might be a close call, but we've still gotta believe it will be Patterson.

4. TIGHT END

The competitors: Greg Dulcich, Will Kacmarek, Ben Sims

The outlook: This might be a trick question here because the Dolphins might employ two tight ends quite a bit. When they do that, then it figures to be Dulcich and Kacmarek together. When the Dolphins open with one tight end, it might come down to whether the game plan calls for more running or passing. In either scenario, Sims is the long shot here, though he did look good in camp.

The prediction: Complete bailout here, the Dolphins will open with two tight ends more often than not.

5. LINEBACKER

The competitors: Tyrel Dodson, Jacob Rodriguez, Trey Moore, Willie Gay Jr., Kyle Louis

The outlook: There are a lot of moving parts at linebackers and that literally could include players moving from one spot to another. The only thing that should be a lock is that Jordyn Brooks will occupy one of the three spots in the traditional 4-3 look.

The prediction: The three rookie linebackers will have roles in 2026 without question, but the gut feeling here is that Hafley will start with the three veterans.

6. EDGE DEFENDER

The competitors: Josh Uche, David Ojabo, Mason Reiger, Max Llewellyn

The outlook: We are going to assume for now that Chop Robinson will be in the starting lineup lining up wide on one side — and it would be a bummer if he weren't a starter. Uche should be the leading candidate for the other spot, but it doesn't mean it's a lock.

The prediction: We'd expect a rotation at this spot with Ojabo getting a lot of snaps, but Uche will be in the starting lineup at the onset.

7. CORNERBACK

The competitors: JuJu Brents, Jason Marshall Jr., Ethan Bonner, Marco Wilson

The outlook: Chris Johnson will be one starter at cornerback, barring a major surprise. Brents should have the lead for another spot based on what he showed last year before his injury. Marshall and Bonner both showed promise last year and could play themselves into bigger roles.

The prediction: Until we see something different, we'll go with Johnson and Brents as the starters outside, with Marshall stepping in for Johnson when he lines up in the nickel.

8. RIGHT GUARD

The competitors: Jonah Savaiinaea, Andrew Meyer, Jamaree Salyer, DJ Campbell

The outlook: Make no mistake, this is Savaiinaea's job to lose, but this new regime probably won't have a ton of patience if he doesn't show clear progress early in camp.

The prediction: It would be a surprise if Savaiinaea weren't in the starting lineup in Week 1. Week 18? Now, that's a different story.

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