Dolphins’ 53-man roster projection: Predicting Miami’s team after the preseason finale

The Dolphins’ preseason slate came to an end on Saturday night, with a 31-18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that was overshadowed by wide receiver Daewood Davis’ injury.

Over the next 48 hours, Dolphins’ decision-makers will cut the roster from 90 players to 53. Between now and the 4 p.m. Tuesday deadline to finalize the roster, there will be deliberations and tough calls on several players, with the understanding that the team must keep initial roster spots for players who will either start the season on injured reserve or the physically-unable-to-perform list with the intention of returning later in the regular season.

After the preseason finale, here’s the Miami Herald’s projection of what the Dolphins’ 53-man roster will look like.

Offense

Quarterbacks (3): Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson.

Off: James Blackman.

▪ Skinny: The combination of Tagovailoa’s injury history and the NFL’s new emergency quarterback rule means there is a strong chance the Dolphins keep three passers. The only remaining question is who backs up Tagovailoa during the regular season.

Running backs (4): Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., De’Von Achane, Salvon Ahmed.

Off: Myles Gaskin, Chris Brooks.

▪ Skinny: After a month of camp and three preseason games, one could argue Miami’s running backs have the deepest position room. Each player had moments and made cases to be on the 53-man roster. But ultimately, Ahmed’s preseason performance gives him the edge for the fourth and final spot. If Brooks clears waivers, he should be a lock to join the practice squad.

Wide receiver (5): Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Braxton Berrios, Erik Ezukanma.

Off: Robbie Chosen, River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Keke Coutee, Daewood Davis.

▪ Skinny: A late change here has Chosen not making the initial 53-man roster. This isn’t a reflection of his play but one piece of the roster shuffling that could take place in the coming days. The Dolphins have multiple players that will likely start the season on IR reserve or the PUP list. But players going on IR need to be on the initial 53-man roster first to stay eligible to return at some point this season. As a vested veteran, Chosen doesn’t have to clear waivers and immediately becomes a free agent after he is cut. So, Miami could release Chosen with the understanding that the team will free a roster spot after placing players on IR or PUP and then re-sign him.

Tight end/fullback (4): Durham Smythe, Alec Ingold, Elijah Higgins, Eric Saubert.

Off: Tanner Conner, Tyler Kroft, Julian Hill.

▪ Skinny: Tight ends coach Jon Embree encapsulated the state of the position room perfectly when he said Smythe was the only established player and every other spot was up for grabs. Interestingly, Higgins only played two offensive snaps on Saturday, while Hill played 34 — the most of the team’s tight ends — and Conner played 18 in his first game since he was activated from PUP. Saubert is dealing with a short-term injury but is a veteran who was manning multiple roles before he was sidelined. The guess is the Dolphins want to keep developing Conner and Hill — but on the practice squad first.

Offensive tackle (3): Terron Armstead, Austin Jackson, Kendall Lamm.

Off: Ryan Hayes, Cedric Ogbuehi, Kion Smith, Geron Christian, James Tunstall.

▪ Skinny: Armstead’s availability for Week 1 is still unknown but Lamm has played well in his stead and should be the top swing tackle. Hayes and Smith could return to the practice squad.

Interior offensive line (6): Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg, Isaiah Wynn, Dan Feeney, Robert Jones (IR).

Off: Lester Cotton, Alama Uluave.

▪ Skinny: The nature of Jones’ knee injury means he could be a candidate to start the season on IR. And if so, Cotton could return to the team as a practice squad addition or re-signing.

DEFENSE

Defensive line (5): Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Emmanuel Ogbah, Da’Shawn Hand.

Off: Brandon Pili, Josiah Bronson, Jaylen Twyman, Randy Charlton, Jamal Woods.

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins could be again searching for veteran additions after a lackluster showing from the reserve defensive linemen in the preseason finale. Ogbah is listed as a defensive lineman but has been playing more as an outside linebacker. Depth remains an issue here.

Outside linebacker (3): Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Andrew Van Ginkel.

Off: Malik Reed, Mitchell Agude, Garrett Nelson, Cameron Goode.

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins guaranteed part of Reed’s base salary but roster constraints could lead them to take a similar approach as predicted with Chosen, cutting the vested veteran and bringing him back after freeing a spot post-IR designations.

Inside linebacker (4): Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall.

Off: Aubrey Miller, A.J. Johnson.

▪ Skinny: No change to the previous projection but what the Dolphins do with Johnson is interesting. He was signed to the team just days ago but has a history with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He’s a player the team could keep around — on the 53-man roster or practice squad — because of his experience and knowledge of the defense.

Cornerback (8): Jalen Ramsey (IR), Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Noah Igbinoghene, Cam Smith, Eli Apple, Nik Needham (PUP), Justin Bethel (IR).

Off: Keion Crossen, Jamal Perry, Parry Nickerson, Ethan Bonner.

▪ Skinny: Ramsey will start the season on IR as he targets a late-season return. Needham is likely to start on PUP after missing all of camp. And Bethel could also be an IR candidate after sustaining an injury in practice a few weeks ago. Crossen is a core special teams player but the team could save about $3 million in cap space by releasing him — his base salary is not guaranteed — and then re-sign him as a vested vet post-cutdown day.

Safety (5): Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Elijah Campbell, Verone McKinley III.

Off: Bryce Thompson, Trill Williams, Keidron Smith, Myles Dorn.

▪ Skinny: Campbell’s leg injury could only further complicate decisions on safety. Brandon Jones was limited throughout camp in his return from an ACL tear and didn’t play in the preseason. And then Campbell sustained an injury that forced him to leave the stadium on crutches. McDaniel said the team would know more about the severity of the injury on Sunday. If the diagnosis sidelines Campbell for a few weeks, he could start the season on IR. Miami might have to keep one more safety than they anticipated.

Specialists (3): Jason Sanders, Jake Bailey, Blake Ferguson.

▪ Skinny: No ambiguity with the Dolphins’ specialists.