The national media remains skeptical of the Miami Dolphins heading into the 2026 season.
ESPN analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder recently ranked every projected starting lineup in the NFL, and the Dolphins were dead last.
Miami's secondary is considered its biggest weakness, and it's difficult to disagree. First-round rookie Chris Johnson is expected to start either on the outside or in the slot.
The Dolphins don't have much experience behind Johnson, with cornerbacks Storm Duck, Jason Marshall Jr., JuJu Brents, and Alex Austin all competing for roles. At safety, Miami will likely turn to Dante Trader Jr. and Lonnie Johnson Jr. after trading Minkah Fitzpatrick and losing Ashtyn Davis in free agency.
Dolphins ground attack will lead offense
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Miami's strength clearly lies in its ground attack, led by De'Von Achane.
"The recently extended De'Von Achane is the star of Miami's offense, and it's not close," Clay wrote. "The 2023 third-rounder has scored either 11 or 12 touchdowns in each of his three NFL seasons and gained a career-high 1,838 scrimmage yards in 2025.
"Achane's elite receiving production is nothing new (he has finished in the top five among backs in targets and receiving yards in each of the past two seasons), but he made another leap forward as a rusher in 2025, finishing fifth in rushing yards. His 5.62 yards per carry is best among qualified backs since he entered the league."
Prove-it year coming for Chop Robinson
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The ESPN analysts had an "X-factor for 2026" for every team, and their choice for Miami was edge rusher Chop Robinson, who is coming off a disappointing 2025 season. After recording six sacks as a rookie, Robinson's production dipped across several categories last season, including sacks (four) and pressures (19).
"From Week 10 on in his rookie season of 2024, Robinson recorded a 20.5% pass rush win rate at edge -- fifth best in the league during that span," Walder wrote. "He seemed destined to be a sack machine. But he took a step back in Year 2, with just a 14.6% pass rush win rate at edge and only four sacks last season (after six as a rookie). After resetting this offseason, Miami needs to find core players it can build around. Robinson might be one of those players, but he must prove it."
The national media is likely to remain bearish on the Dolphins until they prove themselves on the field, especially after moving on from several veteran stars, including Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle.
