The Miami Dolphins have shifted toward a draft-and-develop culture this offseason.
After moving on from veterans, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins have completely transitioned away from the finesse, speed-based offense that defined them in recent years.
Which brings us to this question: What, exactly, is Miami's identity under first-year head coach Jeff Hafley and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan?
"Anybody that's in this business will tell you that, but we'll build this from the inside out," Sullivan said shortly after becoming the Dolphins' general manager. "I think you have to do that. I think you have to make sure that your line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is big, tough, resilient, and that there's depth so that you can survive — it's a violent game, there's going to be injuries — that you can survive injuries. The thing that I think we have to focus on most right now is making sure that we build infrastructure."
Miami selected 13 players in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it's easy to see the type of team Sullivan and Hafley want to build offensively. The Dolphins drafted offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 overall pick in April and signed dual-threat quarterback Malik Willis while also extending Pro Bowl running back De'Von Achane.
Proctor and Patrick Paul should form a formidable tandem on the left side of the offensive line. Miami is hoping Proctor's move to left guard, along with 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea's transition to right guard, will pay dividends not only for the offensive line but for the running game as a whole.
Although Willis has been in the league for five seasons, he has made just six career starts. So why not lean on Achane, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season after rushing for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry? He also caught a team-high 67 passes for 488 yards and three touchdowns.
Miami's offense could struggle in the passing game as Willis and his receivers work to develop chemistry. But one thing is certain: The Dolphins are going to run the ball and play a physical brand of offense, a stark departure from the previous regime.
