Which 2025 Dolphins Starter Now Gone Will Be Missed the Most?

The Miami Dolphins' roster transformation, actually overhaul, was drastic enough that 13 of the 20 players who started half their games in 2025 are now gone.

A lot of those departures involved high-profile and high-salaried players, but the organization felt a reset was needed to get the franchise where it wants to going even if it meant a lot of dead cap space in 2025 but more significant for the short term a pretty significant talent exodus.

But as these young and new-look Dolphins prepare for their 2026 season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, it's fair to wonder exactly which of those departed starters the team will miss the most.

Here's our countdown of those 13 players, taking into consideration each player's value but also how the team has been able to compensate for the loss.

COUNTING DOWN THE 2025 STARTERS THE DOLPHINS WILL MISS THE MOST

13. G COLE STRANGE

While he became the full-time starter at right guard and earned himself a nice free agent contract deal with the Chargers this offseason, Strange wasn't exactly a dominant force. The Dolphins have significantly upgraded at guard with the addition of Kadyn Proctor and switching Jonah Savaiinaea to the right side to replace Strange.

12. S ASHTYN DAVIS

Davis wound up starting next to Minkah Fitzpatrick in large part because the Dolphins didn't have better options. While the Dolphins have unproven commodities at safety now with Zayne Anderson, Dante Trader Jr. and Michael Taaffe, the upside appears clearly better. Davis is back with the 49ers after signing with them as a free agent in the offseason and being released.

11. T LARRY BOROM

Borom did a more than respectable job starting for Austin Jackson at right tackle for 11 games, but we can't put him higher in our countdown because he again was going to be a backup. It's what Borom is scheduled to do for the Detroit Lions after signing with them as a free agent.

10. TE JULIAN HILL

The Dolphins likely would have welcomed Hill back at the right price, but he got himself a nice deal with the Patriots, though his season ended prematurely over the summer when he sustained a knee injury. The Dolphins pivoted after losing Hill by drafted Will Kacmarek in the third round, and the idea is that he'll be an upgrade as a blocking tight end.

9. LB TYREL DODSON

Even if Dodson wasn't going to start again in 2026 because of the addition of promising rookie second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez, he still could have provided veteran backup help at linebacker. In the end, the Dolphins decided the $3 million cap savings made him expendable and now Dodson is starting over as a member of the Carolina Panthers practice squad.

8. QB TUA TAGOVAILOA

We were going to get to the most polarizing player in franchise history at some point, and we'll slot him here because there never seemed any way he was coming back as the starter in 2026. It says here that Malik Willis will be a clear upgrade at quarterback, though we won't know that for sure until the regular season plays out. We'll also find out at some point if maybe the Dolphins should have brought him back as a backup since the cap hit for 2026 was going to be about the same, but that would have created a weird dynamic and also kept the team from being able to develop and evaluate Kyle McCord.

7. FB ALEC INGOLD

Ingold was a quality fullback for the Dolphins, but it's fair to wonder just how much impact a fullback can make — as evidence, there still is a pretty good number of teams who simply don't use one. The Dolphins have a replacement with rookie free agent DJ Herman, and the question will be whether he can provide close to the same kind of contributions as Ingold did.

6. CB JACK JONES

Jones had his ups and downs for the Dolphins last season, but he overall had a pretty good season that included the game-turning interception in overtime in Spain. He wasn't a fit for a rebuilding organization and now is scheduled to serve as a backup for the 49ers.

5. OLB BRADLEY CHUBB

There was no way to bring back Chubb in a rebuilding situation given his age and the amount of cap space the Dolphins could save, but they're thin on the edge and could use Chubb's pass rushing and leadership.

4. OLB JAELAN PHILLIPS

It might not seem like it because he was traded during the season, but Phillips did start nine games for Miami before leaving. The Dolphins certainly could use him this year, but the bigger question is whether he could have fit as a building block like Achane, Brooks and Brewer (though his injury history was problematic in that sense).

3. CB RASUL DOUGLAS

Douglas never figured into the plans in 2026 because of his age, but the reality is he was a very good cornerback for the Dolphins last season and would be the best of the group right now.

2. WR JAYLEN WADDLE

Trading Waddle might have been the most difficult of all the offseason departure decisions because of his production and his age and he clearly would be the No. 1 wide receiver on the 2026 Dolphins. But being able to get a first-round pick for him while removing the financial commitment past this year made it the right move to trade him.

1. S MINKAH FITZPATRICK

Given his age, his desire for a new contract and his recent comments about how he asked out in 2019 because he wanted no part of a rebuilding project, trading Fitzpatrick was a no-brainer this offseason, even if the return was paltry. But the Dolphins certainly could use him in a safety group with not one established player.

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