Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 13: Same Old Story for Jackson

The Miami Dolphins will head into training camp at the end of July with a totally different roster than the one that ended the 2025 season after an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of several significant veterans and the arrival of newcomers young and old.

The Dolphins have 91 players on their roster with the exemption they have for England-born rookie tight end Seydou Traore, a participant of the International Player Pathway Program.

As life goes in the NFL, not every player on the roster is equal, so we decided to rank all of them in terms of their importance to the Dolphins' success in the 2026 season. The list was determined on the basis of not just ability but also expected role and significance to the overall progress of the organization as it continues the rebuilding project that began with the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach.

This is part of a series that will run in the lead-up to start of training camp.

NUMBER 13: T AUSTIN JACKSON

How he joined the Dolphins

The Dolphins selected Jackson with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft with their second of three first-round pick that year, after QB Tua Tagovailoa and before CB Noah Igbinoghene. Jackson was elected with a pick obtained from Pittsburgh in the 2019 trade that sent safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers.

Contract status

Jackson is entering the final year of the three-year contract extension he signed in December 2023. After his contract was restructured in 2025 to convert salary into a signing bonus, Jackson accepted a $4.5 million salary cut this year and now is set to earn $7.8 million in 2026, including $5.1 million in prorated signing bonus money, according to Over The Cap. He has a cap number of $6.9 million. Jackson is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

His 2025 season

For the third time in four years, Jackson's season was derailed by injuries. After aggravating a toe injury in the season opener that he had sustained in training camp, Jackson wound up missing 11 games at right tackle. Jackson did start the final five games. He earned a 65.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, slightly lower than than 66.2 given to left tackle Patrick Paul.

His projected role

Jackson provides the Dolphins with a proven starter on a young offensive line that will feature a rookie, a second-year player and a third-year player, but he's got to stay in the lineup to be able to make a difference. Head coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan have put rookie first-round pick Kadyn Proctor at left guard to start his NFL career and that idea depends on Jackson doing the job at right tackle. Jackson has played more than eight games only once since 2021, so dependability has been a problem. It's also the biggest reason the Dolphins very well might move on from Jackson next offseason. At this best, Jackson is a good run blocker in the outside zone scheme and can hold his own in pass protection. But he's got to be on the field to make it work.

THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS ON THE COUNTDOWN

90. G James Ester
89. T Kevin Cline
88. QB Mark Gronowski
87. DT Keith Cooper Jr.
86. EDGE Seth Coleman
85. RB Anthony Hankerson
84. WR Donaven McCulley
83. FB D.J. Herman
82. C Jim Bonitas
81. LS Tucker Addington
80. DT Alex Huntley
79. T Marques Cox
78. EDGE Rodney McGraw
77. TE Cole Turner
76. DT Khalil Saunders
75. CB Miles Battle
74. S Major Burns
73. RB Carlos Washington Jr.
72. EDGE Robert Beal Jr.
71. WR A.J. Henning
70. RB Donovan Edwards
69. DB Omar Brown
68. EDGE Cameron Goode
67. WR Jalen Reagor
66. EDGE Max Llewellyn
65. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
64. CB Ethan Robinson
63. G/T Josh Priebe
62. DT Rene Konga
61. WR Tahj Washington
60. QB Cam Miller
59. CB A.J. Green III
58. EDGE Mason Reiger
57. CB Alex Austin
56. P Bradley Pinion
55. LB Jackson Woodard
54. K Zane Gonzalez
53. S Louis Moore
52. DT Matthew Butler
51. CB Marco Wilson
50. CB Darrell Baker Jr.
49. LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.
48. T Charlie Heck
47. WR Chris Bell
46. CB Storm Duck
45. WR Theo Wease Jr.
44. TE Seydou Traore
43. G DJ Campbell
42. G/C Andrew Meyer
41. K Riley Patterson
40. S Michael Taaffe
39. CB Ethan Bonner
38. TE Ben Sims
37. EDGE David Ojabo
36. S Lonnie Johnson Jr.
35. Zayne Anderson
34. EDGE Josh Uche
33. WR Jalen Tolbert
32. EDGE/LB Trey Moore
31. LB Willie Gay Jr.
30. RB Jaylen Wright
29. WR Kevin Coleman Jr.
28. G Jonah Savaiinaea
27. DT Zeek Biggers
26. LB Kyle Louis
25. RB Ollie Gordon II
24. WR Tutu Atwell
23. G/T Jamaree Salyer
22. WR Malik Washington
21. DT Jordan Phillips
20. WR Caleb Douglas
19. LB Jacob Rodriguez
18. CB Jason Marshall Jr.
17. S Dante Trader Jr.
16. TE Will Kacmarek
15. QB Quinn Ewers
14. LB Tyrel Dodson

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