Poupart's 2023 Dolphins 53-Man Roster Projection 5.0
The time has arrived.
It's roster cutdown week around the NFL, and those (usually young) Miami Dolphins on the roster bubble had their final chance to make their case during the team's preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, some succeeding there more than others.
By 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Dolphins and every other team in the NFL will have to be down to the 53-player limit in the first year without earlier cuts from the training camp limit of 90 players.
As a reminder before we unveil our final roster projection, only those players who began camp on PUP can be on PUP at the start of the regular season and players have to be on the initial 53-man roster to be eligible to return off injured reserve in 2023 — with exception of players waived off IR with an injury settlement, which is a whole other complicated matter. The only player eligible to start the season on Reserve/PUP is cornerback Nik Needham.
With that in mind, here we go with All Dolphins Publisher Alain Poupart's fifth and final 53-man roster projection of 2023:
DOLPHINS QUARTERBACKS (3)
On the 53: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
Off: James Blackman
Changes: None
Analysis: We can haggle all we want about the performance of the backup quarterbacks in camp and the preseason, the bottom line is nothing has changed here and it still would remain a major shock if this played out any other way than Tua, White and Thompson on the 53.
DOLPHINS RUNNING BACKS (4)
On the 53: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Devon Achane (R), Salvon Ahmed
Off: Chris Brooks (R), Myles Gaskin
Changes: None
Analysis: If Ahmed's performance (131 total yards, one receiving touchdown) against Houston has solidified his roster spot, then his 42-yard run against Jacksonville likely wrapped it up. Ahmed did suffer a scary injury later on against the Jaguars, but head coach Mike McDaniel said Sunday it's nothing major, so there will be no effect on the roster there. Achane will make the initial 53-man roster, but there's a possibility he could go on IR afterward because of his shoulder injury, at which time either Gaskin or Brooks could be brought back. Brooks' physicality gives him at least a shot of pulling off an upset by landing on the 53.
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS (5)
On the 53: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma
Off: River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Keke Coutee, Chris Coleman (R), Daewood Davis (R), Robbie Chosen
Changes: Chosen out
Analysis: The more we think about it, the more we believe the Dolphins will terminate Chosen's contract Tuesday to make room for one of the players who need to go on injured reserve post-53 so they can come back this season (like Jalen Ramsey) with an understanding they'll be brought back. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if Cracraft ended up on the 53-man roster if the Dolphins are able to trade Wilson or decide to eat his guaranteed salary.
DOLPHINS TIGHT ENDS/FULLBACKS (4)
On the 53: Fullback Alec Ingold, Durham Smythe, Tyler Kroft, Julian Hill (R)
Off: Tanner Conner, Elijah Higgins (R), Eric Saubert
Changes: Kroft in, Saubert out
Analysis: As we've mentioned before, the only sure thing at tight end is Smythe, with the injury that Saubert sustained against Houston complicating matters. Of the three young tight ends, we easily could see any one of Hill, Conner or Higgins making the initial 53, but we had to pick someone.
DOLPHINS OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
On the 53: Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Liam Eichenberg, Isaiah Wynn, Dan Feeney, Kendall Lamm, Lester Cotton
Off: Geron Christian, Robert Jones, Cedric Ogbuehi, Kion Smith, Ryan Hayes (R), James Tunstall, Alama Uluave (R)
Changes: None
Analysis: Jones was in the thick of a heated battle for a roster spot on the offensive line when he was injured against Houston and being sidelined for a month is not going to do his chances of making the team any good. It's not inconceivable the Dolphins could keep him, but the most likely scenario is he'll be placed on IR or waived/injured.
DOLPHINS EDGE PLAYERS (5)
On the 53: Emmanuel Ogbah, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed, Andrew Van Ginkel
Off: Cameron Goode, Garrett Nelson (R), Mitchell Agude (R)
Changes: None
Analysis: Same story here as last projection. Goode, Nelson and Agude all have shown good things in camp and one of them probably would end up on the 53-man roster if it weren't for Ogbah having a $15 million guaranteed salary. With Van Ginkel, remember that he can be used as a swing guy lining up inside and outside.
DOLPHINS DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)
On the 53: Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler, Brandon Pili (R), Da'Shawn Hand
Off: Josiah Bronson, Jaylen Twyman, Randy Charlton (R), Jamal Woods (R)
Changes: Hand in
Analysis: If there's a position where the Dolphins figure to get veteran help and/or scour the waiver wire, look for this one because depth is lacking here. This projection assumes Hand's current injury isn't serious.
DOLPHINS INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4)
On the 53: Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall
Off: Aubrey Miller (R), A.J. Johnson
Changes: None
Analysis: There appeared to be a battle brewing for the final spot between Tindall and Miller, the undrafted rookie from Jackson State, but Miller was awfully quiet in the preseason and Tindall has been a bit more active than usual.
DOLPHINS CORNERBACKS (6)
On the 53: Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou, Cam Smith (R), Noah Igbinoghene, Eli Apple
Off: Justin Bethel, Bryce Thompson, Ethan Bonner (R), Nik Needham (PUP), Jamal Perry, Parry Nickerson
Changes: None
Analysis: Injuries are a key factor here because Ramsey will be on the initial 53 but then placed on IR and one of those on the "off" list will go back to the active roster, with maybe Jamal Perry the most likely choice because of his versatility and special teams experience. Needham, meanwhile, looks like somebody who is going to begin the season on PUP, which will keep him out for the first four games. Nickerson also looked very good in coverage in the preseason, but he's fighting the numbers game here.
DOLPHINS SAFETIES (5)
On the 53: Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Elijah Campbell, Verone McKinley III
Off: Keidron Smith (R), Trill Williams
Changes: McKinley in
Analysis: Based on McDaniel's comments Sunday about Campbell's knee injury not being season-ending but carrying into the regular season, the best guess here is that Campbell will make the initial 53 and then go on IR, with Keion Crossen coming back to the secondary a distinct possibility (if he doesn't make the initial 53).
DOLPHINS SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
On the 53: K Jason Sanders, P Jake Bailey, LS Blake Ferguson
Off: None
Changes: None
Analysis: The Dolphins have made it easy for us here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Check out our daily podcast (All Dolphins Podcast) on YouTube and also available wherever you get your audio podcasts under Miami Dolphins Insider on the Fans First Sports Network. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.
