Over the past couple of weeks, The Phinsider roster breakdown series has taken a look at every position on the field. The players for each position were then broken into prospective starters, reserves, bubble watch players, practice squad members, and the rest of the players. Now that all 53 players for the regular season roster have been projected, including part 12's two players from the bubble watch list, we can now build the depth chart as we project the team.
Today, we take a look at the offense.
Quarterback is fairly well set, with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore making the roster, while the team could look to add seventh-round pick Brandon Doughty to the roster if they think he is a poaching risk for another team.
The top three for the running backs (Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake, Damien Williams) appears fairly well set, with the fourth spot coming down to Daniel Thomas or Isaiah Pead. Thomas gets the nod here because of his pass blocking and third-down back ability. It would not be a surprise if this position saw some change at some point over the summer - especially if Arian Foster and the Dolphins are still in contact as Foster completes his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon.
Tight end saw one of our bubble watch players make the roster, with Jake Stoneburner bouncing back on to the 53-man roster. Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims hold the top two spots, then Stoneburner followed by rookie Thomas Duarte. The Dolphins appear to want to open up the passing game with the tight ends involved more than they were last year, and adding the depth of Stoneburner provides another option for Miami, while also allowing them to continue to develop Duarte.
Wide receiver is an interesting position to watch this summer, as the Dolphins could keep more than the five players we have projected here. DeVante Parker and Jarvis Landry are clearly the top two receivers on the roster. Kenny Stills should claim the third position, but Leonte Carroo could challenge him for the spot. Jakeem Grant should see plenty of playing time as the Dolphins look to find unique ways to get the ball into his hands. Matt Hazel and Griff Whalen are both bubble players who could make the roster, but Miami would have to sacrifice depth somewhere else to free up the roster spot.
The offensive line suddenly looks better than it has in the last few years, and it has some depth to it as well. So much so, that there are players that probably should make the roster, but the numbers just do not work in their favor. Branden Albert and Ja'Wuan James return to their tackle positions while Mike Pouncey is locked in at center. The left guard position should belong to first-round pick Laremy Tunsil, while Billy Turner has the early edge for right guard, but will battle with Jamil Douglas, Jermon Bushrod, Dallas Thomas, and Kraig Urbik - who is the odd man out in this projection. Douglas played center when Pouncey was injured last year, so he should be considered the back up for the position as well.
Here is a graphic of how the offense will look with this depth chart. The defense will be laid out tomorrow: