When your team invests in youth, that means accepting inevitable growing pains. It means understanding that some of those young players might not immediately measure up.
The Dolphins, who are relying on youth more than any time in this decade, are experiencing both of those realities during their 0-3 start.
Rookies and second-year players are logging significant snaps on the offensive line (left tackle Patrick Paul, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea), running back (Ollie Gordon II), wide receiver (Malik Washington), safety (Dante Trader Jr.), defensive line (Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips), linebacker (Chop Robinson) and cornerback (Storm Duck and Jason Marshall Jr.).
Of that group, Paul, Gordon and Washington have been very good, and Phillips showed promise the first two weeks before regressing against Buffalo.
The Dolphins say they love the instincts of Trader, the fifth-round pick, who is rated 56th among 75 safeties in Pro Football Focus’ analysis. PFF rates him Miami’s third-best run defender this season, and he has allowed only 11 yards in receptions (though he has been targeted only twice).
But his playing time diminished against Buffalo, with veteran Ashtyn Davis surpassing him on the depth chart.
Grant hasn’t been awful but hasn’t been nearly as impactful as hoped, at least so far.
The others have not been good enough most of the time.
Paul, replacing Terron Armstead at left tackle, has allowed just four pressures (and one sack) in 121 pass-blocking snaps.
What’s more, Paul is one of only 10 tackles in the league who has yielded just four quarterback pressures in at least 100 pass-blocking chances.
PFF rates him 21st among 65 tackles; he has one of the bright spots in this inglorious start to Mike McDaniel’s fourth season.
Gordon has done his part, converting all four of his short-yardage runs and averaging 4.0 yards on 12 carries.
Washington has a punt return for a touchdown, six catches for 34 yards and six carries for 52 yards (a robust 8.2 per carry).
For the others, there is considerable room for improvement, with data courtesy of PFF:
▪ Savaiinaea — whom the Dolphins moved up in the draft to acquire at the expense of second-, third- and fourth-round picks — is rated by PFF as the 66th and worst guard in the NFL with a dismal 28.7 grade. That’s well below the player rated 65th (teammate Kion Smith, at 35.2).
PFF gives the rookie a horrifying pass-blocking grade of 5.3; no other guard in the league is below 22. He has allowed 11 pressures in 121 pass-blocking snaps.
There were some early signs of trouble when he struggled in 1-on-1 drills in training camp. This simply must work out for Miami or would be a major setback.
â–ª The young cornerbacks, Duck and Marshall, have been attacked in coverage.
Before Duck left with an ankle injury in the opener against the Colts, Daniel Jones targeted Duck five times and completed four of those passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Marshall, who left the Bills game with a hamstring injury, has permitted all seven targets in his coverage area to be caught for 88 yards (including a touchdown) and also has four missed tackles. â–ª Robinson has seemingly regressed after a strong final two months of his rookie season.
PFF rates him 112th among 113 edge players. He’s rated seventh worst as a run defender, and he has one sack but no other quarterback pressures in 36 pass-rushing chances. ▪ Grant, the 13th overall pick, has started two of the three games but has yet to produce a tackle for loss. There have been a handful of good plays, including a pass deflection.
But he also has been pushed aside on several running plays, and PFF ranks him 103rd among 107 interior defensive linemen and 101st in run defense. His lack of production against the run is one reason Miami is allowing 4.5 yards per rush, which is 10th worst in the league.
Meanwhile, the player drafted directly after him, Colts tight end Tyler Warren, has 14 receptions for 193 yards. ▪ Phillips, who remained the starter at nose tackle even after Benito Jones’ return on Thursday, flashed during the first two weeks of the season but was pushed aside too often on a night the Bills churned out 157 yards rushing on 5.8 per carry.
PFF rates him 76th of 106 defensive tackles. But it’s difficult to expect more from a rookie fifth-rounder.
Two other second-year draft picks — running back Jaylen Wright and receiver Tahj Washington — haven’t appeared on offense this season. Wright was active against Buffalo after missing the first two games off knee surgery, but Gordon remained De’Von Achane’s backup.
Linebacker Mo Kamara and safety Patrick McMorris — two other players from the 2024 draft class — were cut in August and not re-signed to the practice squad.
As good as Paul has been — and as promising as Gordon seems — the Dolphins will be in a bad spot if their second-round guard (Savaiinaea) and past two first-round picks (Robinson and Grant) don’t begin to play much better than they have displayed in the 0-3 start.