Ranking the Most Important Dolphins Players 81-85: Impressive UDFAs Still Long Shots
The Miami Dolphins will head into training camp at the end of July with a totally different roster than the one that ended the 2025 season after an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of several significant veterans and the arrival of newcomers young and old.
After their roster moves Monday, followed by the signing of former UFL tackle Gottlieb Ayedze on Wednesday, the Dolphins have 91 players on their roster with the exemption they have for England-born rookie tight end Seydou Traore, a participant of the International Player Pathway Program.
As life goes in the NFL, no every player on the roster is equal, so we decided to rank all of them in terms of their importance to the Dolphins' success in the 2026 season. The list was determined on the basis of not just ability but also expected role and significance to the overall progress of the organization as it continues the rebuilding project that began with the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach.
This is part of a series that will run in the lead-up to start of training camp.
RANKING PLAYERS 81-85
85. RB Anthony Hankerson
The Dolphins have three young challengers looking to displace either Jaylen Wright or Ollie Gordon II or convince the team to keep four halfbacks, and pretty has the toughest road to overcome as a rookie free agent. He didn't necessarily look out of place during the spring practices open to the media, but that's a long way from making a push for a roster spot.
84. WR Donaven McCulley
The former Michigan player certainly looked like an intriguing prospect in the spring with a body that looks almost more like that of a tight end. The problem is it's really hard to see the Dolphins having room at wide receiver after the acquisitions of veterans Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell in free agency, followed by the draft selections of Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr., not to mention returning players like Malik Washington and Theo Wease Jr.
83. FB D.J. Herman
The good news for Herman is he's the only fullback currently on the roster, but the reality is that rookie Will Kacmarek could fill those responsibilities on a regular basis. Another challenge is Herman making the transition from college linebacker, though he looked pretty good catching the ball in the spring. It still feels like a long shot he'll make the 53, though.
82. C Jim Bonitas
Bonitas was among the more accomplished members of the Dolphins' undrafted class, but he still faces a tough road just to make the roster and then only would get into the lineup if something were to happen to Aaron Brewer. This looks like a long shot from both ends.
81. LS Tucker Addington
Remember, this series isn't about the best players or the most likely to make the roster, but rather a countdown in terms of importance to the team in 2026. And, with all due respect to long-snappers, they're pretty much interchangeable, as the Dolphins proved in 2024 when they rotated five players (including Addington) for three games each after Blake Ferguson was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. This is not slight to ability of Addington, who's now the only long-snapper on the roster, but rather a statement on the positional value.
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 1:18 PM.