As Dolphins scout draft prospects at combine, answers on offseason should come this week

As the Miami Dolphins’ new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley will be building their roster through the draft, that process comes to the forefront in the next week.

The team takes to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine, Sullivan and Hafley’s opportunity to evaluate draft prospects through drills, testing and interviews in one centralized location.

All the while, some solid answers on how this duo will operate in its first offseason leading Miami may come to light.

Both Sullivan and Hafley are scheduled to field questions in the news conference setting for the first time since they were introduced as the Dolphins’ new power tandem Jan. 22.

What resolution will they find with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his behemoth of a contract?

Do they see players like running back De’Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer and linebacker Jordyn Brooks as foundational building blocks worthy of contract extensions?

After wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and offensive guard James Daniels were already released and Bradley Chubb has been informed he’ll be released, are other veterans either on the trade block or bound to be cut?

What are the qualities they look for in members of their first draft class, who will be instrumental in establishing a new culture?

Sullivan steered clear of answering specifically on roster matters, such as the Tagovailoa question, during his introduction last month.

The widespread belief is the Dolphins will seek a trade partner for Tagovailoa, likely taking on a large chunk of the $54 million he is guaranteed in 2026. Cutting the former franchise quarterback under former GM Chris Grier and ex-coach Mike McDaniel would cost Miami a record-breaking $99.2 million dead cap hit, which can be spread over two seasons if he’s designated a post-June 1 release.

After the week at the combine, there’s another week on the NFL calendar before free agency begins March 9 at 12 p.m., ahead of the official start of the new league year March 11 at 4 p.m.

With the Dolphins a team in need of a quarterback, the duo of Sullivan and Hafley also has previous ties to the biggest free agent at the position, Malik Willis of the Green Bay Packers. Will Sullivan tip his hand on a potential plan of pursuit for Willis, Jordan Love’s backup for the Packers who is expected to carry an expensive price tag for a team looking for its next starter?

They are not expected to be aggressive for high-priced veteran free agents while building through the draft in the early years of their tenure together.

Sullivan and Hafley inherit rising second-year quarterback Quinn Ewers, who started the final three games of the 2025 season after Tagovailoa was benched. Miami’s new GM may share an opinion on him this week, as it’s known one thing he does want at the quarterback position is competition for the job. It helps Ewers that Hafley, who has a defensive coaching background, wants to keep the same offensive system that was in place under McDaniel and not only retained Bobby Slowik from the previous coaching staff but promoted him to offensive coordinator.

When it comes to the coming late April draft and scouting prospects this week at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium and Indiana Convention Center, a Miami team in the midst of a roster overhaul practically has needs at all positions.

As Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, widely viewed as the draft’s second-best quarterback behind Miami product and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, will throw at the combine, the Dolphins will likely do their due diligence in scouting him.

That doesn’t mean they need to or should be married to the idea of drafting a quarterback in the first round. They could go the route of building a roster so, when the long-term solution behind center presents itself, the team is ready to facilitate the game for the player. And maybe competition for Ewers comes in finding another passer in the mid-to-late rounds, or a bridge veteran.

The Dolphins will need to bring in young talent at other premium positions like cornerback, edge rusher and wide receiver. What type of players Hafley and new defensive coordinator Sean Duggan want on the edge is to be determined. They used many four-man defensive fronts in Green Bay, so they may need an infusion of 4-3 defensive ends and outside linebackers instead of players that fit the 3-4 formation.

The trenches on both sides of the ball will surely be important to new management. The previous regime had invested its first two picks of the past two drafts to either offensive lineman (second-round tackle Patrick Paul in 2024 and second-round guard Jonah Savaiinaea in 2025) or the defensive front (first-round picks for defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and outside linebacker Chop Robinson in 2025 and 2024, respectively). Sullivan will likely look for more to supplement them and two other defensive tackles the Dolphins had as rookies last season — Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers.

Tight ends, safeties and possibly running backs, if Sullivan and Hafley don’t wish to spend to keep Achane around as he goes into the final year of his rookie contract, are also in play.

This new Dolphins front office, coaching staff, and scouting department will have no shortage of prospects to evaluate over the coming week at the combine.

As Dolphins scout draft prospects at combine, answers on offseason should come this week

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