Where Dolphins players are ranked among peers at their positions. And nuggets
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Friday:
▪ Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 players at every position for this upcoming season.
And despite the departure of key talent (Jalen Ramsey, Terron Armstead, Jonnu Smith, Calais Campbell, Jevon Holland), Miami still has several players considered among the upper half at their positions.
But Tua Tagovailoa isn’t one of them, at least not in the eyes of PFF.
On the positive side, PFF said Miami has three of the top 27 edge players in football: Jaelan Philips (18th), Bradley Chubb (21st) and Chop Robinson (27th). All have had very good training camps.
PFF notes Robinson “had an impressive rookie season, ranking sixth in the NFL with an 18.8% pass-rush win rate and leading the Dolphins with 56 total pressures. Already an established pass-rusher, he’ll need to improve his run defense to take the next step in his development.”
On the flip side, PFF ranks Tagovailoa only 18th among all starting quarterbacks, with this comment:
“Tagovailoa might be the most polarizing quarterback in the league when comparing production to PFF grade. He put up strong numbers and grades in 2022 and 2023 but took a noticeable step back in 2024 after suffering another concussion in Week 2. He never quite looked the same after returning. If Tua can rebound, the Dolphins become a dangerous team in 2025 — but there’s a real question as to whether he’ll ever return to his 2023 form.”
In Tagovailoa’s defense, he’s the NFL’s only quarterback to produce a 100 passer rating in each of the past three seasons.
Conversely, PFF ranks De’Von Achane the ninth best running back in football, noting: “Achane in 2023 became one of just four running backs to ever record an elite PFF rushing grade as a rookie (93.1). He followed that up with an 82.1 PFF rushing grade and an 80.2 PFF receiving grade in 2024. He also racked up the most receiving yards at the position (592).”
PFF has Tyreek Hill eighth among receivers, behind Houston’s Nico Collins, adding: “Hill’s production dipped in 2024, as it did for much of Miami’s offense. Still, it’s difficult to rank him lower than No. 8, given how dominant he was in the years prior. He posted the second-highest WAR [wins over replacement] among receivers in both 2022 and 2023, with seasons of 1,779 and 1,861 receiving yards.”
PFF slots Jaylen Waddle 21st among receivers, noting “Waddle took a noticeable step back in 2024... Still, as one of the league’s most explosive threats — both with and without the ball — there’s reason to hope for a rebound if Miami’s offense returns to form in 2025.”
PFF ranks Miami’s two starting inside linebackers, Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, 25th and 29th, among all NFL players at the position.
Other PFF rankings: Aaron Brewer seventh among centers; Minkah Fitzpatrick 16th among safeties; Zach Sieler 21st among interior linemen and James Daniels 24th among guards.
Of Daniels, the free agent pickup from Pittsburgh, PFF said: “Before suffering a torn Achilles just four games into his 2024 campaign, Daniels was on pace to produce his best season as a pro. He showcased his ability as a dominant run blocker, posting a 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade — second only to Chris Lindstrom.”
▪ Rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips has come on strong in the past two weeks; Pro Football Focus rated him among Miami’s best defenders in the Bears game.
On Thursday, coach Mike McDaniel cited his “relentless approach and very good pad level” and said he’s “super strong, super tough and his teammates like him a lot. When it’s their play to make and they make a play as a rookie, I think when basically any time (No.) 94 makes a play, both the sidelines and the players on the field erupt. I think that tells you a lot.”
Phillips was selected one spot before Cleveland drafted quarterback Shedeur Sanders. General manager Chris Grier said Miami considered Sanders but opted for Phillips, calling him a “really good run stopper.”
▪ It looks like the Dolphins will have only two players ranked among the top 100 in the annual NFL.com poll, as voted by NFL players. (Players 30 through 100 have been revealed.)
NFL.com rated Tagovailoa 91st among all players, down from 36th last summer. Hill is 47th, down from first last year.
“Hill falling from the No. 1 player in last year’s list to midway through the Top 100 in 2024 is a shocking drop,” the league-owned web site noted.
Ramsey, incidentally, is 66th.
▪ Jaelan Phillips said what has changed with Robinson, in year two, is “the consistency of which he’s winning and being dominant. I’ve always seen flashes from him in the past, but I just feel like it’s almost every single play. He’s making plays more often than he’s not, and his confidence, his repertoire, he’s getting more fundamentally sound. All phases of the game, he’s just balling.”
▪ Larry Borom, who has been filling in for the injured Austin Jackson, allowed seven sacks as a Chicago Bears player last year and 20 over the past four seasons. But he suggested he’s better in the Dolphins’ system.
“It suits me well here, better than Chicago,” he said. “When I’m at my best, I’m aggressive. I throw my hands and I’m on people. I’m not sitting back waiting for anything. We are aggressive with everything [here] -- pass, run. I like that.”
Borom played only right tackle at Missouri but has played right and left tackle for the Bears, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2021. The No. 3 tackle job is his to lose.
▪ Saturday’s 1 p.m. Dolphins-at-Lions preseason game won’t be aired by NFL Network until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18. The game can be seen live in South Florida on CBS-4 and can be seen live digitally with a subscription to NFL Plus.
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 12:37 PM.