How a popular analytics site rates Dolphins players, positions this season

Virtually everyone with a forum thinks the Dolphins will stink this year. Las Vegas has their over/under for wins at 4.5. ESPN ranks Miami 32nd and last in its 2027 power rankings. What's more, ESPN ranks the Dolphins 31st in its three-year power rankings (projecting 2027 through 2029). USA Today predicts they will go 1-16. But the Dolphins are getting some proverbial love in Pro Football Focus' annual ranking of the top players at each position. How they fared there: ▪ Center: PFF ranks Aaron Brewer second best in the league at the position, behind only Kansas City's Creed Humphrey. PFF's assessment: 'Since landing in Miami in 2024, Brewer's game has grown by leaps and bounds. This past season, the Dolphins center cemented himself as one of the most adaptive and talented blockers in the game. His 91.5 PFF run-blocking grade not only paced the center position, but it also ranked in the top five among all offensive linemen. That performance paved the way for Brewer to earn a second-team All-Pro nod and be named one of five finalists for the NFL's inaugural Protector of the Year award.' ▪ Linebacker: PFF ranks Jordyn Brooks fifth best in the NFL at inside linebacker, behind only the 49ers' Fred Warner, the Lions' Jack Campbell, the Panthers' Devin Lloyd and Philadelphia's Zach Baun. PFF said of Brooks: 'After a trying four-year stint in Seattle, Brooks has firmly settled in during his two-year tenure with the Dolphins. In that span, Brooks has netted the fourth-most WAR [wins over replacement] at the position. Brooks was especially elite downhill in 2025, missing only 4.3% of tackle attempts and adding a 92.0 PFF run-defense grade. The second-team All-Pro is here to stay in Miami after recently inking a lucrative three-year extension.' ▪ Running back: PFF ranks running back De'Von Achane fifth, behind Bijan Robinson, Jahmir Gibbs, Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. 'To call Achane exclusively a running back is a disservice to his game,' PFF said. 'His versatility as an offensive weapon is unmatched in the modern NFL. The Dolphins made great use of Achane's diverse skill set by lining him up all over the field, recording 34.5% of his passing-down snaps out of the slot or out wide.' ▪ Running back room overall: Thanks to Achane, PFF ranks the Dolphins' running backs sixth overall, noting Achane's 4.1 yard average after contact led the league. 'Behind him, Ollie Gordon is a big power back who should serve as a nice change of pace from the explosive Achane. However, he was one of only two running backs to average fewer than 3.0 yards per carry on 50 or more handoffs last season. Jaylen Wright rounds out the room. Achane already possesses a blistering burst of acceleration, but playing alongside a legitimate dual-threat quarterback for the first time may only unlock more of his danger as defenders hesitate on read option plays.' ▪ Defensive tackle: PFF ranks Zach Sieler 23rd among all interior defensive linemen, with this comment: 'Sieler is another player coming off a down year, with his 60.7 PFF grade in 2025 the lowest in his career among seasons where he has been on the field for at least 100 snaps. Back in 2024, he earned a 78.6 PFF grade that ranked 11th among players on the defensive interior. At 31 years old, there is reason to expect a bounceback in 2026.' ▪ Miami, predictably, has no cornerback, edge player, safety or guard ranked among the top 32 at their position. ▪ PFF ranks the Dolphins' offensive line 25th, noting the 'concern is at guard.' ▪ PFF ranks the Dolphins' defensive line even worse at 30th, ahead of only Arizona and Atlanta, with this comment: 'Joshua Uche is the only one of Miami's four projected defensive line starters who earned a PFF grade above 65.0 last season, and even that came across just 244 snaps. The 2020 second-round pick has yet to reach 400 snaps in any of his six NFL seasons. 'The Dolphins' best chance to outperform this ranking lies with their young talent. Edge defender Chop Robinson and [now injured] interior defender Kenneth Grant both have significant upside, but Miami will need substantial steps forward from' both. ▪ PFF ranks the Dolphins 32nd and worst in the league at wide receiver, noting that 'this may be one of the worst wide receiver corps in recent memory on paper... There is a chance for someone to emerge from nowhere, but the outlook here is bleak.' ▪ PFF also ranks the Dolphins' defensive backfield as the worst in the league, noting 'no secondary missed more tackles than the Dolphins last year, who whiffed on 90 in total. This unit is utterly devoid of experience.'