The Miami Dolphins aren’t getting a ton of national respect this summer — but they just got their flowers where it matters most
The Miami Dolphins have added more than 20 players to the roster in the NFL Draft in the last two years. The effort just got a nod of respect.
The Miami Dolphins have, in recent years, developed several unsavory reputations. Among them? Old and not durable.
The tide started to shift on that front in 2025, as Miami saw several young players seize significant snaps, including the vast majority of their 2025 draft class. It proved to be too little, too late for the old guard in Miami. But it also proved to be the tip of the iceberg, as the Miami Dolphins have fully embraced a wholesale youth movement. And their effort has resulted in a major shift in how the Miami Dolphins score in a newly released ESPN exercise.
Miami Dolphins receive the third-biggest bump in All Under-25 talent list from 2025 to 2026
ESPN has released their rankings of which teams have the best talent under 25 years of age. At this time last year, the Dolphins were ranked 31st in the NFL in this exercise. If that’s not a testament to the old reputation of the Miami Dolphins, I don’t know what is. But now, with the 2025 class having a year under their belt and the 2026 class coming en masse? The Dolphins jumped up to the No. 12 spot on the rankings.
An improvement of 19 spots should feel monumental. And it is — it’s the third-best leap of any team in the rankings from last summer to this year. The Dolphins’ improvement was bested by two other foes from the AFC:
– The Cleveland Browns jumped from 29th to 4th overall (+25 spots)
– The New York Jets leapt from 28th overall to 7th overall (+21 spots)
Here’s a bold prediction for you. When ESPN does this exercise next year, Miami will rank better than 12th overall. Hopefully much better. Miami’s notable names that are all 23 years old or younger, guaranteeing they’ll qualify for this exercise for at least one more season, is extension. Kadyn Proctor, Chris Johnson, Jonah Savaiinaea, Chris Bell, Jordan Phillips, Kyle Louis, Ollie Gordon II, Kenneth Grant, Chop Robinson, Caleb Douglas, Jaylen Wright, Will Kacmarek, Trey Moore, Dante Trader, Zeek Biggers, Michael Taaffe, and Kevin Coleman Jr. are all 23 or younger.
LB Jacob Rodriguez will be 24 next summer. So will Jason Marshall Jr. and a handful of others. PLUS an additional draft class for the 2027 NFL Draft, which many people believe will feature a top draft choice in a presumed star-studded class.
Not all of these players are going to hit. That’s an inevitability of life in the NFL. But a number of them will. And with that, plus a new draft class stacked on top? Yeah, I’m betting Miami will sit in the top-10 this time next year.
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