Ranking the Dolphins Rookie Class at the Bye

As the great Albert Einstein supposedly once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

And if you're trying to stay positive about the 0-5 Miami Dolphins, you'll have to do a whole lot of hoping, as their rookie-filled roster has offered promise for the future without much results in the present.

The Dolphins entered the season with an NFL-high 13 rookies on their active roster, six of whom were thrown into the fire immediately as Week 1 starters. That number grew to seven the following week, as Miami continues to give its youngsters opportunities as the losses pile up.

Some hit the ground running, others stumbled out of the gate before finding their footing, and a few are still waiting for a chance to prove themselves.

With Miami entering its Week 6 bye, here's how the Dolphins' rookie class stacks up in our latest power rankings.

THE DOLPHINS BYE WEEK ROOKIE POWER RANKINGS

1. LB Jacob Rodriguez (Previously: 1)

We won’t pretend he hasn’t experienced some of the growing pains that come with being thrust into such a demanding role from Day 1, but he’s handled it with a level of poise and consistency that’s rarely seen from a rookie.

The second-round pick enters the bye leading the NFL with 57 combined tackles, including a franchise rookie-record 18 against Minnesota.

He's also recorded three tackles for loss and an interception while wearing the green dot and being the primary relayer of communication to the defense since Week 1.

There still are areas to clean up, particularly when he's forced into difficult coverage assignments on third downs and in the red zone, where Miami's blitz packages can leave him isolated in man coverage against tight ends.

The hope is that Rodriguez, who was college football's highest-graded linebacker in coverage, will continue adjusting to the rare combination of size, speed and athleticism possessed by NFL tight ends.

The early comparisons to Zach Thomas might be premature, but Miami definitely found a building block in the second round.

2. CB Chris Johnson Jr. (Previously: 4)

Johnson Jr. easily is the biggest riser in Miami's rookie class over the past two weeks.

After having a carousel of welcome to the NFL moments through his first couple of weeks, the first-round pick has settled into his responsibilities and started displaying the instincts that made him one of the top cornerback prospects in April.

He continues to show improvement from the slot, displaying quick reactions to short-breaking routes and a willingness to get his nose dirty in run support.

His best performance came against Cincinnati, when he finished with six tackles and forced a Chase Brown fumble inside Miami's 10-yard line to prevent a potential Bengals touchdown.

Through five games, his 68.8 overall PFF grade ranks 21st among 104 qualifying cornerbacks.

3. G Kadyn Proctor (Previously: 3)

For a 21-year-old transitioning from college left tackle to NFL left guard, with some work-ethic related concerns, Proctor has come along surprisingly well.

The 6-foot-7, 366-pound lineman has played 292 offensive snaps through five games, allowing one sack and 10 total pressures while committing three penalties.

His near-unprecedented combination of size and athleticism has been immediately apparent in the running game, where he’s consistently been a bulldozer at the line of scrimmage, paving the way for a goal-line touchdown by Ollie Gordon II and pulling into space to clear a path for Chris Bell’s 26-yard end-around against Cincinnati.

His pass protection still needs work, but his development has been encouraging as he acclimates to the physicality of the NFL.

4. TE Will Kacmarek (Previously: 5)

Kacmarek keeps doing exactly what Miami drafted him to do.

The third-round pick immediately established himself as the Dolphins' most dependable blocking tight end, which has given them the freedom to regularly operate out of two-tight end formations.

Against Minnesota, he helped Miami rush for 121 yards and even caught a 15-yard pass, the longest of his young career.

Don’t expect him to become a major receiving threat anytime soon, especially with Greg Dulcich barely being a constant receiving fixture.

5. WR Chris Bell (Previously: 2)

Bell's drop in the rankings has more to do with the improvement of the players around him than his own shortcomings.

After showing flashes of his athleticism against Kansas City when he caught four passes for 67 yards, Bell has gone two consecutive games without a reception.

Still, with five catches for 92 yards through five games, and considering he's gradually working his way back from the ACL injury that ended his college career, there's reason to be patient with his development.

6. WR Caleb Douglas (Previously: 6)

Douglas is the most difficult rookie to evaluate because his first five games have essentially consisted of one excellent afternoon, a quiet performance and three weeks on the sideline.

His NFL debut against Las Vegas was memorable, as he caught five passes for 94 yards, is the third-highest receiving yardage total by any rookie receiver this year.

But an ankle injury suffered against San Francisco has kept him out of action since Week 2.

The encouraging part is that we've already seen his ability to win against NFL coverage, which Miami lacks.

But just because he’s capable of performing well doesn’t mean it will be the norm, so we shall wait and see.

7. S Michael Taaffe (Previously: 7)

Taaffe has been a prime example of the benefits and drawbacks of immediately tossing a rookie into the starting lineup.

The fifth-round pick has been encouragingly aggressive against the run, with 30 combined and a forced fumble through five games to go along with an interception.

But his coverage deficiencies are concerning.

Through five games, Taaffe has earned a 38.3 PFF coverage grade, ranking 89th among 96 qualifying safeties. He hasn't looked agile enough to keep up with the league's quicker slot receivers or big and physical enough to consistently hold his own against tight ends, a pretty concerning combination for a starting safety.

8. WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (Previously: 9)

After spending much of the first month waiting for opportunities, Coleman finally got his feet wet against Cincinnati.

The seventh-round pick caught three passes for 30 yards and his first NFL touchdown in Miami's late comeback attempt.

He's also shown promise as a kickoff returner, recording 87 yards on three returns for an average of 29 yards, including a long of 39.

With just five catches for 36 yards through five games, Coleman hasn't made much of an impact through the air, but with Douglas sidelined and Miami still searching for dependable pass catchers, there's an opportunity for his role to grow.

9. FB DJ Herman (Previously: 8)

Herman's transition from college linebacker to NFL fullback continues to be a work in progress.

The undrafted rookie consistently showcases the aggression and physicality that helped him earn a roster spot, but he’s still in the midst of an adjustment period when it comes to approaching blocks at the second level, where NFL linebackers are quicker and more capable of avoiding contact than those he faced in college.

While linebackers and fullbacks are both chasing people in some way, the approach is different: a linebacker is trying to shed blocks and get to the ball carrier, while a fullback has to anticipate a defender's movement, take the proper angle and prevent him from getting to the ball carrie

10. TE Seydou Traore (Previously: 10)

Traore's biggest contributions continue to come on special teams.

He led Miami with 21 special teams snaps against Cincinnati and finally recorded his first offensive snap after playing exclusively on special teams during the first four games.

That lone offensive opportunity wasn't enough to offer much insight into his development as a tight end, but his willingness to contribute on special teams has helped him maintain a role.

11. TE Justin Joly (Previously: 11)

Joly is still an intriguing developmental prospect, but there hasn't been enough regular-season film to evaluate him.

He’s been limited to special teams opportunities, with Kacmarek and Dulcich handling most of the meaningful tight end snaps.

His receiving ability made him an interesting prospect coming out of N.C. State, but whether that can translate into a consistent offensive role remains to be seen.

12. G DJ Campbell (Previously: 12)

Campbell continues to develop behind Miami's starting offensive linemen.

For now, most of Campbell's development will have to come through practice rather than meaningful game repetitions.

13. EDGE/LB Trey Moore (Previously: 13)

Moore remains one of the more intriguing pieces from Miami's draft class.

The fourth-round pick showed enough versatility during training camp to suggest he could immediately contribute, but he suffered an ankle injury that has prevented him from taking his lumps as a rookie.

14. S Kyle Louis (Previously: 14)

Louis' rookie season remains on hold because of the knee injury he suffered against Las Vegas.

Before landing on injured reserve, Miami had been developing him for a hybrid role to possibly take advantage of his athleticism and coverage ability.

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