Miami Dolphins Rookie Report for Week Four

Following last week’s utterly embarrassing loss to the rival Jets, the Miami Dolphins did not fair much better this past Sunday. Despite the change in country and going against an extremely susceptible Saints defense, the Dolphins were shutout by the Saints in what was the Dolphins second consecutive loss in London.

With most of the team performing poorly in this contest, the Dolphins rookies did provide some bright spots for analysis. Moving quickly to get into these bright spots, let’s dive right in and see just how well the Dolphins rookies did against the Saints.

Cordrea Tankersley — Cornerback

Week 4 Stats: 73 defensive snaps (98.6%), Five tackles, One Pass Deflection

The newest player on this list, Cordrea Tankersley made his extremely anticipated Miami Dolphins debut this past Sunday against the Saints. With Byron Maxwell missing the contest through injury, Tankersley took the opportunity in stride and played extremely well in his NFL debut.

Recording five tackles and a pass deflection, Tankersley not only started for the Dolphins but he played in all but one defensive play on Sunday. While he was targeted early by Drew Brees, Tankersley did not lose confidence. Putting in the best cornerback performance of the season for Miami, Tankersley has likely cemented his spot as a starter going forward.

Charles Harris — Defensive End

Week 4 Stats: 35 defensive snaps (47.3%), One tackle, One QB Hit

Another week, another subpar performance from first round pick Charles Harris. While he did make a good play when he recorded his only tackle of the game, Harris was invisible in the pass rush for most of the contest.

An extremely athletic player, Charles Harris has proven to be extremely raw on the field. With that said, it is still too early to write Harris off as a bust. This was only his third career professional game and he will need time to develop. However, this is not the start the coaching staff and player had in mind when he was selected 22nd overall in this past April’s draft.

Davon Godchaux — Defensive Tackle

Week 4 Stats: 42 defensive snaps (56.8%), One tackle

Tied for the league lead in penalties this season, Davon Godchaux had another average effort against the Saints. Recording a single tackle during the contest, Godchaux once again played wingman to Ndamukong Suh. Supporting the Dolphins run defense, Godchaux helped Miami limit the Saints to just 86 yards rushing.

That said, Godchaux remains to be just a filler player on the field. Getting on the scoresheet more for his penalties than his defensive stops, Godchaux should eventually see less playing time once Jordan Phillips returns from his injury.

Chase Allen — Linebacker

Week 4 Stats: Three defensive snaps (4.1%), Two tackles

A week after recording seven tackles against the Jets, Chase Allen was regulated to a mostly special teams effort against the Saints. With the return of Lawrence Timmons, Allen should continue to see a minimal role in the coming weeks as far as the defense goes.

However, should any of the Dolphins linebackers go down due to injury this season, Allen will definitely be next in line to earn a starting spot with this team.

Matt Haack — Punter

Week 4 Stats: Six punts, 263 total yards, 43.8 average

Once again, Matt Haack was forced into action quite a bit this past Sunday. However, seeing both a drop in average punt distance and long punt, Haack has come under pressure from the Miami Dolphins faithful.

Struggling to flip the field, Haack has done little to make the fans forget about former punter Matt Darr. Needing another good game like the one he had Week 3 against the Jets, Haack is definitely a player Eagle eyed Dolphins fans will keep their eyes on in the coming weeks.

Vincent Taylor — Defensive Tackle

Week 4 Stats: 23 defensive snaps (31.1%), Three tackles, One QB Hit

Outperforming fellow rookie defensive tackle Davon Godchaux once again this week, Vincent Taylor is definitely someone that needs to be watched over the coming games. Continuing to play well in his limited snaps, Taylor could quickly usurp both Davon Godchaux and Jordan Phillips on the Dolphins depth chart.

Maurice Smith -- Cornerback

Week 4 Stats: Nine special teams snaps

Once again, Maurice Smith remains a special teams player for Miami. With little movement in his position with the team, Smith needs to start impressing the coaching staff if he wants to remain an active member of this team once suspended safety T.J. McDonald returns to the team. Right now, I’m not that confident.

Week 2 Rookie Scratches: Isaac Asiata (G), Torry McTyer (CB), Eric Smith (OT)