I like to check the depth chart on Ourlads.com to give myself an idea of what others think our depth chart might look like. By no means is this an “official” Depth Chart, it’s just some knowledgeable guesswork. The current Depth Chart on Ourlads which was updated as of 5/5/26 has the following starters at LB. They show a base 4-3 alignment but show only 2 LB’s, ILB Jordyn Brooks and WLB Tyrel Dodson and then DB Jason Marshall at Nickel Back. I like Tyrel Dodson, he’s been better than expected for sure, but his jersey may as well say Del Rio on the back, because he’s going to end up in a very similar situation that occurred 30 years ago. In 1996, Jimmy Johnson signed MLB Jack Del Rio to a 1 year contract. In the 1996 NFL Draft, Jimmy Johnson took LB Zach Thomas from Texas Tech in the 5th RD, Pick #154 overall. Zach Thomas came in here on fire and Jimmy Johnson fell in love, rightfully so. Jack Del Rio never played for the Dolphins, he was cut and the Zach Thomas era began. In the 2026 NFL Draft, Jon-Eric Sullivan selected LB Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech in RD 2, #43 overall. Two important details, Jack Del Rio was 33 YO in 1996, and Jacob Rodriguez isn’t Zach Thomas. Despite that, I’m telling you there is no way a healthy Jacob Rodriguez isn’t starting for the 2026 Miami Dolphins. That doesn’t mean Tyrel Dodson gets cut, but he might get traded. Rodriguez is the type of player that will bring some next level excitement to this team, and they will want him on the field ASAP!
Newly drafted 1st RD Pick (#27) CB Chris Johnson is listed as the starting LCB on Ourlads. I agree with that, the first round pick will be given every opportunity in the world to win that starting job and he should be able to take it. Opposite him is currently CB JuJu Brents at RCB, but that’s far less certain. Brents suffered a season ending foot injury in which he had surgery on following the Week 11 game against the Washington Commanders in Spain. He should be ready physically to play as long as there are no setbacks. The competition should be heavy at CB and former starter Storm Duck will probably want his starting position back. Storm Duck is also coming back from an injury, Duck injured his knee in Week 8 against Atlanta and had surgery on his knee following that game. He should also be ready by season’s start, but Duck had two injuries last year, an early ankle injury and then the season ending knee injury. I count 10 CB’s on the roster at the moment, and there’s always the possibility of picking up an inexpensive CB after roster cutdowns as well. Brents has good size and length at 6’3 198, and he has definitely flashed some signs that he could play.
EDGE and OLB should be interesting competition as well. Right now the competition at EDGE should be some of the heaviest because it’s really wide open. There’s third year player Chop Robinson who hasn’t shown any signs that he’s a starting DE or OLB. His play and playing time regressed and diminished last season compared to his rookie campaign. Although we didn’t invest a lot of draft capital into the EDGE position, we did draft LB/EDGE Trey Moore from Texas, kind of an undersized pass rusher in RD 4, #130 overall. We doubled down in RD 7 with EDGE rusher Max Llewellyn from Iowa, #238 overall. We also picked up a couple more EDGE rushers as UDFA’s in Mason Reiger from Wisconsin and EDGE rusher Rodney NcGraw from Western Michigan. In addition, in FA we signed Josh Uche from the Eagles and David Ojabo from the Ravens, and Robert Beal who we picked up from the Niners, as well as Dolphins who was drafted by us in 2023.
For the O-line, a constant source of Dolphins fan angst, Sully announced that the Dolphins will begin training camp with our first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft at #12, OT/OG Kadyn Proctor at LG next to LT Patrick Paul. That’s quite the sizable left side, with somewhere close to 700 lbs with Paul 330 and Proctor somewhere between 330 and 350. Last year’s 2nd RD pick, OG Jonah Savaiinaea will move to RG. It’s expected that RT will go to incumbent (when healthy) RT Austin jackson, but no doubt in my mind that Jackson is just keeping the spot warm for Kadyn Proctor if/when he either departs by end of contract or injury, whichever occurs first. Big Jonah better play well or he better watch 6th RD pick, #200 overall DJ Campbell from Texas (where else???) who will be closer than he appears in his side view mirror!
You guys were practically foaming from the mouth when we picked WR Caleb Douglas from Texas Tech (where else???) in RD 3, #75 overall. You just hated the pick but I think the kid is going to make an impact this season. He’s working hard, doing all the right things, and compared to the diminutive WR’s we’ve had here, this guy has the size and the attitude we want, he wants that damn ball and will fight to get it. At 6’3 1/2 205, he gives the QB a bigger target and will go and get the ball, and fights tough for yards after the catch as well. I don’t know if WR Chris Bell will see action early on, he may start the season on the PUP list or even IR, but our other 3rd RD WR draftee, #94 overall, will also eventually make an impact on this offense. My guess is that will come later than sooner, but that’s not especially important. I look forward to eventually seeing Douglas and Bell together, but we may have to be patient with that. We have veterans Jalen Tolbert from the Cowboys and Tutu Atwell from the Rams and of course Malik Washington as well. We also have Theo Wease who flashed a bit last season and we drafted a slot type WR Kevin Coleman in RD 5, #177 overall. Malik Washington and Coleman will no doubt be battling for the starting slot position, although Washington should be safe for return duties.
There will literally be competition at every position except for QB. Malik Willis will be starting, but I suppose Ewers may have to fight off Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski for the backup spot. I knw we drafted 13 guys, and be mindful that Sully and Haf took guys they really like, so those guys might just have a leg up on the guys that were already here, fair or unfair, that’s kind the way it is. They want to change the culture here, the team demeanor, and the best weay to do it is with a bunch of guys that buy into what you’re doing and just want to go out and be the best they can be for the coaches, the team, their teammates and themselves. I feel like in 2025, we had very little of that, with a few exceptions of course. I feel like we had a lot of “Me” players, and not nearly enough “We” players. That’s gonna change big time! That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to win more than we did last season, we lost a lot of talent, but I do think this team will be more fun to watch this season as they grow, and maybe towards the end of the season, if WR Chris Bell is fully healthy, we’ll see the offense make some big strides and give us a nice glimmer of what might be in 2027.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Chris Johnson weakness, only 1 yr of elite play, I’ll take that
concern not weakness
steve,
Last year Jonah pretty much played exactly how he played in college. It wasn’t the side issue. He showed the same flaws and weaknesses he displayed in college on the right side. Hopefully he’s worked on things in the offseason.
I think this is all kinda overblown. It’s usually a preference. “Feeling more comfortable” simply means you’re used to it. It’s a psychological hurdle the player can’t or hasn’t yet overcome. It’s not physical. Muscle memory plays a role but that can be rewritten. Again, guys switch sides all the time. TEs and WRs can switch side play to play. DEs will switch sides. If you can’t switch sides, that’s on you.
Too bad all these guys want to do is practice as little as possible and get paid. More practice means this kind of stuff gets corrected.
I agree its a mental thing, as is confidence, which he showed none of last year
tape I saw from AZ showed him pushing guys all over the field and no happy feet
Jonah in college was a lot like Proctor’s in that they didn’t always used the best form, because of their power
power, just like game speed can use timing, neither did
there’s a highlight from Reggie White literally throwing Larry Allen on his ass. Reggie waited until Allen’s trail foot (moving laterally) was off the ground. The timing Reggie used made Allen off balance at point of contact
Waddle explained how he did something similar to CBs, he’d make his plant, just as the CBs foot came off the ground, so he was off balance
Crabbs thinks we have enough on O, that we aren’t going to be 28th in O
I think we still could be 28th on O and close to middle of the pack on D, and the O be better than the D. Stats schmatz. If we control TOP, run more than pass our O numbers could be low, because of the ball control, on the other hand the D could suck, but be propped up, because of the ball control on O
O and D ranks, Ws/Ls I don’t really care about them this year, just be competitive while letting the youth movement succeed
steve,
Jonah is big but doesn’t play with power. He’s more of a finesse guy. I believe folks around here were saying that he graded out as one of the very worst guards in the league last year in both PP and run blocking. I don’t know that myself. But, you could see it. His play was horrible. He played with very little power. He wasn’t moving anybody. He was usually the one getting pushed around.
I did see him getting better as the year went on, but he still wasn’t good. He’s 330 or whatever but he plays like he’s 300. Dancing feet. Just sticking his hands at guys instead of using his power to really get into another guy’s pads. Initiating contact and then sustaining it. Too passive. He plays small. You’re fricking huge. Use it.
I am over complaining about Fat Jonah. He will work out or he wont. As long as he doesn’t directly cause issues (get our QB concussed) then my feeling about him is whatever. The bozo who had to trade away valuable picks to move up and take him because the rumor was New England was going to take him got fired for his stupidity. I really wish NE had taken him. They probably would not have made the SB!
Now he is just another guy and I won’t hold the three picks it took to draft him against him.
He did really suck last year though and was a deserving target for my ire. Now he will probably be a backup after he loses the position battle to someone else because this regime has no investment in him.
What is the new bullshit with WordPress making me get a verification code via email before I can post??