The Miami Dolphins open the 2022 NFL regular season against the New England Patriots on Sept. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium.
With a new head coach in Mike McDaniel and a revamped roster, the Dolphins hope to post their third straight winning season while snapping their five-year playoff drought in a loaded AFC.
The strength of their conference is exactly what made this offseason so critical -- there's little margin for error in a conference where 10 wins might not be enough to make the playoffs. After trading for one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers in wide receiver Tyreek Hill and signing ESPN's top-ranked free agent in offensive tackle Terron Armstead, Miami appears to be all-in on a total offensive rebuild.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Tua Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater, Skylar Thompson
Tagovailoa turned in a strong training camp and enters a critical season to determine his future with the team. Thompson, a seventh-round rookie, was a camp surprise and played well enough in preseason games to earn a spot on the 53-man alongside Bridgewater, the primary backup.
RUNNING BACK (5): Raheem Mostert, Chase Edmonds, Salvon Ahmed, Sony Michel, Alec Ingold
Edmonds has had the better camp and should be the lead back, although this will resemble more of a hot-hand or committee approach. Mostert's speed gives Miami's offense a dynamic element while Ingold will be employed as a blocker, receiver and runner. Ahmed beats out Myles Gaskin after outplaying him throughout camp.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma, Trent Sherfield, Lynn Bowden Jr.
Hill and Waddle form a potential top-three wide receiver tandem in the NFL -- especially with Waddle's impressive offseason improvement. Ezukanma has been the most impressive rookie throughout the summer and Sherfield locked his roster spot with strong showing on offense and special teams. Bowden gets the nod over River Cracraft because of his versatility as a returner.
TIGHT END (3): Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe, Hunter Long
Gesicki's role seems murky after an underwhelming training camp, by his standards. He's been used as more of a blocker than receiver, and that is not his forte. If Smythe ends up as the team's primary tight end, you heard it here first. Training camp standout Tanner Conner had a real shot at making the final roster until a knee injury derailed his momentum. They'll hope to stash him on the practice squad if the injury isn't serious.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Terron Armstead, Liam Eichenberg, Connor Williams, Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Michael Deiter, Larnel Coleman, Robert Jones, Solomon Kindley
Armstead provides an immediate upgrade in terms of talent and leadership for a young offensive line that looks much improved as a pass-blocking unit from a season ago. Moving Williams to center has its growing pains, but Deiter remains as an interior depth piece. Jackson could see his fifth-year option exercised with a season of starting-caliber play.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Emmanuel Ogbah, Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler, John Jenkins
Perhaps one of the most unheralded groups in the NFL. Wilkins, Sieler and Davis make up an exceptional trio of interior defensive linemen. Miami committed $65 million to Ogbah, who leads the team in sacks over the past two seasons. Jenkins provides size and depth.
LINEBACKER (8): Jerome Baker, Elandon Roberts, Jaelan Phillips, Melvin Ingram III, Andrew Van Ginkel, Channing Tindall, Duke Riley, Brennan Scarlett
Questions remain about this unit's ability to stop the run, but it'll be one of the more relentless pass-rushing groups in the NFL this season. The rotation of Phillips, Ingram and Van Ginkel should keep one another fresh through four quarters, Riley quietly impressed in pass coverage throughout the summer.
CORNERBACK (7): Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Nik Needham, Noah Igbinoghene, Keion Crossen, Kader Kohou, Elijah Campbell
Howard and Jones comprise the highest-paid cornerback duo in the NFL (combined average per year of $34.5 million) and allows Miami to blitz aggressively. Needham remains its starting nickelback while Igbinoghene and Crossen provide depth -- the latter should also contribute on special teams. Kohou makes the final cut after a series of injuries and a solid camp, and Campbell plays his way in with a pair of preseason interceptions, including a pick-six in the finale.
SAFETY (4): Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe, Clayton Fejedelem
Holland is an emerging superstar. The combination of him with Jones gives Miami one of the league's premier young safety tandems. Rowe should factor into the rotation while Fejedelem is one of the team's better special teams players and was a captain last season.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jason Sanders, Thomas Morstead, Blake Ferguson
Morstead takes over at punter while Sanders and Ferguson return.