Revealing the Biggest Wild Card at Every Position

The Miami Dolphins will be one of the most mysterious and intriguing teams heading into the 2026 season, if for no other reason than their roster features some many unknown quantities — or so few proven players, if you prefer that phrasing.

While that has produced the (very) low outside expectations, it's also opened up a lot of possibilities because it's entirely possible that a number of those unproven players can emerge and surprise in the upcoming season.

So who might those players be?

While it's probably too early to be able to nail them down confidently, the offseason program did provide some clues, so we'll give it a shot.

We'll call those players "wild cards" because they won't include the front-line players but rather those under-the-radar guys.

THE DOLPHINS WILD CARDS AT EVERY POSITION

Quarterback

This has to be Quinn Ewers, right? As we've said and written countless times, it would be a shocker of gigantic proportion if Malik Willis weren't the starter in the 2026, but maybe Ewers takes over at some point and proves he was a steal as a seventh-round pick last year.

Running back

We're thinking here that Ollie Gordon II could be the wild card here if he again looks like the running back who led the NCAA in rushing in his next-to-last season at Oklahoma State. That kind of breakthrough would be huge for the Dolphins offense.

Wide receiver

This is a tough one because there's not a single role well defined just yet, so any wide receiver on the roster could qualify. So we'll go with Theo Wease Jr. and maybe him showing the promise he showed late last night was legit.

Tight end

We'll go here with a rookie, that being fifth-round pick Seydou Traore because Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek already should be expected to play significant roles. Traore flashed enough receiving skills at Mississippi State to suggest he could find success in the NFL.

Offensive line

There are two good candidates here and not surprisingly the position they'd handle is right guard if Jonah Savaiinaea can't take that step forward in his second season, and those two players are veteran Jamaree Salyer and rookie sixth-round pick DJ Campbell. We'll go with Campbell here.

Defensive line

If we're going with somebody under the radar, we'll go with undrafted rookie free agent Rene Konga, who maybe can deliver some pass-rushing presence from the interior of the defensive line.

Edge defender

We've got another rookie free agent here, that being Mason Reiger, who was among the most heralded UDFAs the Dolphins signed this spring. There is an opportunity for a long shot to earn a roster spot here.

Linebacker

Willie Gay Jr. was an afterthought last season, but remember how he shines in training camp and the preseason. He was brought back to play strongside linebacker and his resume includes a couple of really good seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cornerback

Man, there are so many options here because of the large number of cornerbacks on the roster with many of them on prove-it deals. It could be any one of Marco Wilson, Alex Austin, A.J. Green III, Darrell Baker Jr., but we'll go instead with Ethan Bonner, who has always seemed ready to make a move for more playing time before things get in the way. Maybe this is his breakout year.

Safety

Dante Trader Jr. appears to be the one solid presence at this position, so it's wide open as to who else could emerge as an X-factor. But we'll go here with yet another rookie free agent Louis Moore, who led college football in interceptions last season and showed an ability to make plays in the spring.

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