The Miami Dolphins, following the draft and rookie minicamp, are set to host their organized team activities at the Baptist Health Training Complex.
This will be the first time that the entire team will be able to work and go through drills with the full coaching staff providing instruction, which is the real first step toward training camp and, eventually, the regular season.
Before they get to work, let’s talk about some of the things that the Dolphins should be hoping to see and figure out during the early parts of their OTAs.
Competition at left guard and right tackle
Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson currently hold the starting roles at left guard and right tackle, respectively, but there should be an open competition for both jobs.
On the interior, Miami brought in veteran Dan Feeney, and they already had Robert Jones, who was decent filling in for Eichenberg last year. Seventh-round tackle Ryan Hayes and recently-signed veteran Isaiah Wynn could also move to the inside to compete.
While Jackson is expected to be the starter, the Dolphins did bring in the previously-mentioned Wynn and Hayes, as well as former first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi.
Mike McDaniel needs to find the best combination and get them going early with new offensive line coach Butch Barry.
WR3
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle already have their names written in permanent marker on the depth chart as the top two wideouts on the team, but the third spot is up for grabs.
Last year, it was expected that the role would be assumed by Cedrick Wilson, but Trent Sherfield ended up grabbing it.
This offseason, Wilson is returning but with veteran competition from Braxton Berrios and Robbie Chosen (formerly Robbie Anderson). On top of that, last year’s fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma should be ready to take a step and actually get on the field this year. Making the jump from healthy scratch to a top three option might be too much to ask.
Tight end opportunities
Along with the offensive line, tight end was one of Miami’s biggest holes this offseason with Mike Gesicki, Cethan Carter, Adam Shaheen and Hunter Long all departing either through free agency or trade.
This left the Dolphins with just Durham Smythe and Tanner Conner. Since the start of the offseason, however, they’ve signed Eric Saubert and Tyler Kroft and brought in two rookies in Julian Hill and Elijah Higgins.
The franchise seems to have a lot of faith in Smythe as the top tight end on the roster, but they could use somebody to step up and be a solid option alongside him.
Seeing that from any of these players early in OTAs would be wonderful.
Injury situations
The Dolphins dealt with a number of season-ending injuries in 2022. Safety Brandon Jones (ACL), cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles), cornerback Trill Williams (ACL) and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah (triceps) all missed significant time due to their respective injuries.
On top of that, Xavien Howard, the team’s top cornerback, who will now play alongside Jalen Ramsey, played the season with groin injuries that significantly hampered him down the stretch.
It will be interesting to see where everyone is at in their recoveries, and if anybody is limited, could we expect to see them back and participating fully any time soon.
