Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ preseason finale loss to the Jaguars
The Dolphins closed the preseason with a 31-18 loss to the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Saturday night. But football was the last thing on people’s minds after rookie wide receiver Daewood Davis was taken off the field on a spine board and cart after taking a blow to his back late in the fourth quarter.
After discussions between Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and Jaguars Doug Pederson, players union representatives Christian Wilkins and Brandon McManus, and the NFL, the teams mutually agreed to end the game with 8:32 remaining.
With the exhibition slate coming to an end on Saturday night, players made their final case for roster spots and playing time.
Miami will now look to finalize its 53-man roster with a 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline to finish its cuts. Here is a look at who’s stock is rising and falling after the preseason finale.
Who’s hot
▪ Left guard Isaiah Wynn: The veteran lineman started the first few days of training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list but as soon as he was activated, he made a strong push for the starting left guard spot. This culminated in him starting the final two preseason games. Injuries have also helped Wynn rise to a possible starting spot, as Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones and Lester Cotton have all dealt with ailments at some point this summer. But Wynn has also played well over the last month and positioned himself well to be the Week 1 starter after he was a late offseason addition.
▪ Running back Salvon Ahmed: The fourth-year player’s night ended early after he took a hit to his neck in the second quarter. But before he was taken out of the game, Ahmed once again showed that he’s one of the team’s most explosive options in the backfield, taking an outside run for a gain of 42 yards. Ahmed entered the camp firmly on the bubble but has been one of the top performers. In the span of a month, Ahmed has gone from a roster uncertainty to a player who could carve out a role on an offense with a bevy of talented playmakers.
▪ Running back Chris Brooks: If Brooks doesn’t sneak his way onto the 53-man roster, he should already have a spot on the Dolphins’ practice squad — as long as he clears waivers. The undrafted rookie from BYU only totaled 34 yards from scrimmage but scored twice and continued to display the tough running that has endeared himself to teammates and coaches in camp.
Who’s not
▪ Quarterback Skylar Thompson: After a two-interception performance in the preseason opener, Thompson responded well with a three-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons, playing the majority of the game after Mike White was placed in concussion protocol. And with White sidelined for the preseason finale, Thompson had another opportunity to show that he should be the backup to starter Tua Tagovailoa. But Thompson had an uneven outing, throwing interceptions on consecutive throws and then leading three scoring drives that included two touchdowns.
When Thompson was first drafted, he described himself as a gamer and it’s the perfect way to describe him, for better or for worse. There’s a volatility to Thompson’s game that results in head-scratching decisions but also leads to miraculous plays, too. And Thompson has a fortitude that makes players and coaches gravitate to him. But it’s hard to say that he proved himself to be the better No. 2 option over White in his extended action over the last two games.
▪ Cornerbacks Cam Smith and Noah Igbinoghene: Days before the preseason finale, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke about the progress of the Dolphins’ top draft pick, saying, “We’ve got to feel like we can trust him to do the right thing. We’re all going to get beat some, but we don’t want to get beat by self-inflicted wounds.”
On Saturday night, Smith made a costly mistake. He bit on a double move and was beaten deep for a 74-yard touchdown on the second play of the second half. Smith was one of multiple players, along with Igbinoghene and Eli Apple, competing for snaps to replace Jalen Ramsey in the defense’s nickel packages. Though he acquitted himself well in the first few weeks of camp, a shoulder injury sidelined him and he failed to surpass Igbinoghene or Apple. Fangio said that the margin between the three was small before Smith’s injury. And his blown coverage against the Jaguars won’t help his efforts to earn a starting role.
Though Igbinoghene didn’t allow a touchdown, he was targeted and allowed multiple catches in the first half, including an acrobatic 28-yard catch by wide receiver Calvin Ridley along the sideline. While Igbinoghene has played better in Fangio’s scheme, issues with recognition and awareness have resurfaced in the preseason.
▪ Center Connor Williams: For the second consecutive game, Williams delivered an errant shotgun snap to Tagovailoa. But unlike last week’s game, Tagovailoa wasn’t able to corral it. After a 32-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Tyreek Hill on the first play from scrimmage, Williams sailed the snap over Tagovailoa’s head and it was recovered by left tackle Kendall Lamm, but not before a 25-yard loss. The Dolphins punted three plays later.
Williams has had issues with his snaps in the second half of camp and experienced similar issues last summer in his transition from guard to center, though the problems didn’t carry over into the regular season. Nonetheless, it’s something to watch with Week 1 approaching. McDaniel said after the game that the bad snaps are a “non-negotiable correction.”
▪ Defensive line depth: Weeks ago, Fangio said the team was in search of multiple players to step up as depth along the defensive line. And while many of the team’s young linemen had good camps, Saturday night was a prime opportunity with starters Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler sidelined, along with Da’Shawn Hand. But Miami had trouble stopping the run and offered little resistance throughout the game. The Jaguars totaled 130 rushing yards on 5 yards per carry. Wilkins’ hold-in remains unresolved and Sieler was held out because of a leg injury. If both are in the lineup in Week 1, Miami should have a stout defensive front. But the preseason finale didn’t do much to ease concerns about the depth behind them and nose tackle Raekwon Davis.
This story was originally published August 27, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
