This is the latest season edition of our Miami Dolphins Q&A, where South Florida Sun Sentinel writers David Furones and Chris Perkins answer questions from readers.

Q: Who is the best OC we can get that will be here for 3 years minimum before he leaves to become a HC? — JR Sports on X

I don’t think new coach Jeff Hafley should be thinking about the long-term prospects of his offensive coordinator hire as a future head coach. Just make the right choice.

It’ll be vital to nail this hire, as Hafley has a defensive background and will need an offensive coordinator to have the keys to the offense and call plays on that side of the ball.

Names should start to trickle out soon on interview requests, but a good place to start are offensive coaches Hafley has been on the same staffs with.

If you look at the Green Bay Packers, there’s the added bonus of new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan coming from that organization.

Current Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich doesn’t call plays there under coach Matt LaFleur, so it could be a step up for him after holding the non-play-calling OC role in Green Bay for the past four seasons.

Then, maybe quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion. He’s a fast riser in two seasons in Green Bay, going from offensive assistant in 2024 to quarterbacks coach last season. He was rostered as a pro quarterback as recently as 2023 with the Seattle Seahawks, last playing in a game in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings.

If you look at Hafley’s time as Boston College head coach, how about Steve Shimko? He had different roles as an assistant coach with BC before becoming offensive coordinator with those Eagles in 2023, Hafley’s final season there. He has since risen to quarterbacks coach with the Cowboys in his second season in Dallas.

Another name to watch with longstanding ties to Hafley is Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. Going back more than a decade, he had coaching stops in common with Hafley in college football at Pittsburgh and Rutgers and in the NFL with the Buccaneers and Browns. Angelichio also spent time in Green Bay, so Sullivan should remember him from three seasons, 2016 through 2018.

Internal Dolphins candidates could be senior passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik, who was Houston Texans offensive coordinator before landing in Miami and is well-connected to the Shanahan offense former coach Mike McDaniel ran. Kyle Shanahan actually retained Hafley as San Francisco 49res defensive backs coach when he got that job in 2017.

Miami quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell has extensive offensive coordinator experience in the NFL.

Q: Your best guess on OC/DC? — Adam on X

Since we did offensive coordinator, let’s talk defense.

Hafley will likely run his own defense, so it’s not like he needs to nail this hire the same way. He just needs someone in-sync with his philosophy.

Dolphins Deep Dive: Does Jeff Hafley hire inspire confidence? | VIDEO

Packers linebackers coach Sean Duggan was under Hafley the past two years in Green Bay, where he followed him after spending the four years with Hafley at Boston College, Duggan’s alma mater. He rose to become co-defensive coordinator there in their final season at BC, in 2023. He also followed him there from being a graduate assistant on Hafley’s defense at Ohio State in 2019.

Packers defensive line coach and run game coordinator Demarcus Covington already has defensive coordinator experience, under Jerod Mayo with the New England Patriots in 2024.

Dolphins internal candidates can include defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Joe Barry, who was Hafley’s predecessor as Packers defensive coordinator before joining Miami in 2024. Cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo, who is already interviewing for the New York Jets defensive coordinator job, should get a look, as well as maybe secondary coach and pass game coordinator Brian Duker.

But if Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver lands elsewhere, some combination of these names could follow him. It would also strike me as odd if Weaver, who has been interviewed for several head coaching jobs, remained in Miami under Hafley, a defensive coach, while never even being interviewed for the head job with the Dolphins.

Q: In your opinion, how should the Dolphins handle the 1st round pick? Stay at 11 and draft BPA? Trade up? Trade down?  — Cameron Sparks on X

I’m in favor of taking the best player available at 11 for a roster that could use help at a lot of positions for a GM who may want to remove ties to some players from the previous regime.

I’m also fine with trading down if Sullivan doesn’t love any of his options at 11 and can get multiple players he likes later in the early rounds of the draft.

Dolphins Deep Dive: What should Miami do at quarterback? | VIDEO