Ranking the Most Important Dolphins Players 36-40: Is It Time for a Bonner Breakthrough?

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.

After their roster moves Monday, followed by the signing of former UFL tackle Gottlieb Ayedze on Wednesday, 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, no 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.

RANKING PLAYERS 36-40

40. S Michael Taaffe

The rookie fifth-round pick from Texas has a wide range of possibilities in terms of his role for 2026, though it seems almost a lock he'll be on the 53. At this time, though, we have a hard time envisioning a major role on defense.

39. CB Ethan Bonner

Bonner continues to be one of the most intriguing players on the roster because his speed consistently has been praised by his teammates and yet he hasn't quite broken through to earn a big role on defense yet. There's nothing to keep it from happening this summer, but he still has to get it done.

38. TE Ben Sims

Sims was signed as a free agent before the Dolphins spent draft picks on both Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore, which seemed to push him to the back of the line, but he showed in the spring he shouldn't be dismissed as a viable option at tight end.

37. EDGE David Ojabo

There are plenty of opportunities for edge defenders to make a push for playing time and a role on defense, and this former second-round pick looked the part in the spring.

36. S Lonnie Johnson Jr.

The former second-round pick of the Houston Texans is trying to revive his career and return to being a starter, and there is an opportunity on this team for sure if Johnson can have a strong training camp performance. But the situation is such that he's not even guaranteed a roster spot given all the newcomers got the same prove-it contracts.

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

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