MIAMI GARDENS —  I like the Miami Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster. I like that it has a good amount of youth and, for the most part, I like the final decisions that were made. Will this roster get them to the playoffs this year? That depends.

The defensive front seven and starting offense are strengths, but offensive depth is a clear weakness at almost every position and cornerback remains a major concern.

If the Dolphins utilize a more physical style in the run game and have less emphasis on the deep pass, both of which would be departures from previous years, I think they’ll have a much better chance at a playoff berth.

Of course, they have to be able to beat quality teams and win in December and January, too, two things that have plagued this team since 2022. 

The duo of general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel are now in their fourth season and they have a 28-23 (.549) record, not including an 0-2 mark in the playoffs.

As you might know, I’ve picked the Dolphins to win nine games this year and the only time this decade that nine wins earned an AFC playoff berth was 2022, when the Dolphins secured a wild-card round berth with a 9-8 record.

Here’s what I think about the initial roster, which will almost certainly see a few changes before the Sept. 7 opener at Indianapolis: 

Surprises, on and off the roster

Cornerback Cam Smith, the 2023 second-round pick, made the roster, which is a small surprise. It was a close call for a while but McDaniel said Smith has come on strong recently. The hamstring injury to cornerback Ethan Bonner certainly helped Smith, who has never found his footing. We’ll see how long he stays. I agree with keeping him. Cornerbacks Mike Hilton and Kendall Sheffield, both penciled in as starters at one point, didn’t make the cut. I agree with those decisions.

The most pleasant surprise was safety Jordan Colbert, the 2024 undrafted free agent from Rhode Island who got lots of special teams work in Saturday’s preseason finale. He made the initial 53-man roster as did tight end Tanner Conner, a core special teams player from a year ago. I like both of those calls.

Edge rusher Mo Kamara, the 2024 fifth-round pick, didn’t make it but remains a candidate for the 16-player practice squad. Edge rusher was a tough call. Fellow edge rushers Derrick McLendon, who I’d have kept, Grayson Murphy and Quinton Bell also failed to make the initial 53. I thought special teams could keep Bell and inside linebacker Channing Tindall, the 2022 third-round pick, on the team.  

Grier scores again at CB

I always say Grier can find cornerbacks, that it’s his superpower. I like what the Dolphins did in acquiring veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas, who, let’s face it, wasn’t hiding so I don’t know that Grier “found” Douglas, who spent the past two years with Buffalo.

But the point is, the Dolphins badly needed help at cornerback and they got it.

I know it’s not popular to say, but I’ll say it anyway — nice job by Grier.

Dolphins stay young

The Dolphins, who are trying to win with youth and draftees, parted ways with 31-year-old tight end Pharaoh Brown and 31-year-old slot/nickel Hilton on Monday. 

As for 30-somethings on the current roster the Dolphins have five — Douglas (30), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (31), center-guard Daniel Brunskill (31), long snapper Joe Cardona (33) and tight end Darren Waller (32). I’m not yet sold on Waller.

Last year’s initial 53-man roster had eight 30-somethings including running back Raheem Mostert (32), Hill (30), left tackle Terron Armstead (33), defensive lineman Calais Campbell (37), edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah (30), safety Jordan Poyer (33), cornerback Siran Neal (30) and safety Marcus Maye (31). Plus, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr (31) was on injured reserve.

2025 draftees to play major roles

In accordance with getting younger, it’s interesting to note that all eight 2025 draftees made the initial roster — defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, the first-round pick; left guard Jonah Savaiinaea, the second-round pick; defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, the fifth-round pick; cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., the fifth-round pick; safety Dante Trader, the fifth-round pick; running back Ollie Gordon II, the sixth-round pick; quarterback Quinn Ewers, the seventh-round pick; and defensive tackle Zeek Biggers, the seventh-round pick.

Savaiinaea is a definite starter, with Marshall being a likely starter at nickel/slot and Grant, if not a starter, getting plenty of playing time. Gordon, Phillips and Biggers should all be major contributors. That leaves Trader and Ewers as the only rookie draftees not currently scheduled to have a major role in the Sept. 7 opener, and that’s pretty darn good for a draft class.

 Most early McDaniel draftees are gone

The McDaniel era started in 2022. In his first two years the Dolphins, who employed a “win-now” strategy, had a pair four-player drafts — three players remain from those drafts and they’re edge rusher Cameron Goode, a 2022 seventh-round pick, Smith, and running back De’Von Achane, a 2023 third-round pick.

In 2024, they had a seven-player draft followed by this year’s eight-player draft. Players remaining from 2024 are edge rusher Chop Robinson, the first-round pick; left tackle Patrick Paul, the second-round pick; running back Jaylen Wright, the fourth-round pick; wide receiver Malik Washington, the sixth-round pick; wide receiver Tahj Washington, the seventh-round pick.

It’s fashionable to give Grier grief for his drafts, but he might have hit, for the most part, in the past two years. I like what he’s done overall except for not drafting a cornerback higher this year. All things considered, I’m not yet convinced this is a playoff-caliber roster. I like the team, but we’ll see if it’s postseason-worthy.