Dolphins Debate: Who Are the 10 Best Players on the Roster?

Alain Poupart and Omar Kelly go head-to-head in ranking the best players on the Miami Dolphins roster

NFL player rankings have been popping up anywhere and everywhere for the past several weeks, with the latest being the annual Madden ratings that always produce some much backlash from fans and sometimes even players.

The Miami Dolphins have their share of high-profile and highly ranked players, but what should be the pecking order when it comes to the team?

All Dolphins Publisher Alain Poupart and Columnist Omar Kelly offer their respective take on a top 10 ranking of Dolphins players, with a note that this is based on ability regardless of position — because certain positions obviously have more value.

With that in mind, here we go:

Alain Poupart's Top 10 Dolphins Players

1. WR Tyreek Hill — The 2022 team MVP is an absolute game-changer because of his speed. He's not just the numbers he produces for himself that make Hill stand out, it's the way his speed affects what opposing defenses do against the Dolphins.

2. CB Jalen Ramsey — While younger cornerbacks around the NFL might get more pub these days, Ramsey is a great, versatile defender. Ramsey didn't have a great 2022 season by his standards, but what was going on around him on the Rams defense played a role in that.

3. T Terron Armstead — Durability is an issue with Armstead, but he's a rock on the offensive line when he's in the lineup. His value to the Dolphins offensive line never became so obvious as to when he had to miss games because of one of his many injuries last season.

4. CB Xavien Howard — Never forget that he played injured for most of 2022 after being a top 5 corner in the NFL the previous two seasons. The reality is that Howard is about as good a defensive back at playing the ball as there is in the NFL.

5. DT Christian Wilkins — All discussions of his contract aside, Wilkins is an impact run defender and a leader on defense. The only thing missing from his game to put him in the conversation of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL is for him to become more impactful in the passing game.

6. S Jevon Holland — All expectations are that the talented Holland will take a big step in his first year under Vic Fangio. He's a very athletic center-field type with the ball skills to blossom in the way other safeties have under Fangio.

7. WR Jaylen Waddle — His speed alone makes him an impact player and he displayed that multiple times last season when he led the league in yards per reception, thanks in part to long touchdowns against the Patriots, Bills and Packers.

8. QB Tua Tagovailoa — Tua took a big step forward last season and the possibilities are intriguing in his second season under Mike McDaniel. The offense is ideal for Tua's skill set as football type of point guard and Tua has the short- and intermediate-range accuracy to make him ideal for the offense — and, yes, he can complete the deep pass when the opportunity presents itself.

9. LB Jaelan Phillips — Phillips already has become a very good all-around edge defender, equally solid against the run or as a pass rusher. The only question with Phillips at this point is exactly what kind of ceiling he might have in the latter.

10. G Robert Hunt — While Armstead clearly stands out as the best offensive lineman on the Dolphins roster, it says here that Hunt is second in the group. Hunt has the makings of a Pro Bowl guard at some point in his career, though he does have to clean up the penalties.

Omar Kelly's Top 10 Dolphins Players

1. WR Tyreek Hill — He’s the most dynamic offensive weapon I’ve ever seen up close and personal. Hill is better than Randy Moss because he can beat you every possible way, running every single route. Hill is destined to become a first -ballot Hall of Famer if he has three more seasons with 1,000 or more yards.

2. CB Xavien Howard — If a ball is thrown in his area, chances are he’s got a 15-25 percent chance of bringing it down for an interception, especially if it's a little off. That’s why Howard leads the NFL in interceptions (28) since entering the league in 2016. Now that Jalen Ramsey, another elite cornerback, is on the same team, Howard no longer has to shadow the opposition’s best receiver.

3. LT Terron Armstead — When Armstead is healthy, he’s a forceful bookend tackle, someone who Miami can slide its line protections away from, and a bulldozer in the run game. Problem is, this soon-to-be 32-year-old hasn’t had a healthy season in years.

4. QB Tua Tagovailoa — Tagovailoa was so hot last season he spent a month in the NFL’s MVP conversation. He led the NFL in passer rating (105.5) and deep-ball success, and has gained a reputation as one of the NFL’s most accurate passers. Now this former Alabama standout must prove he can stay healthy for an entire season.

5. CB Jalen Ramsey — Ramsey still has All-Pro talent, and plenty to prove this season since some NFL insiders claim his play has been declining. The Dolphins are hoping he uses this season to silence all his critics.

6. WR Jaylen Waddle — This speedster has delivered two straight 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons, and has scored 15 touchdowns in his first two seasons. He’s blossoming into an impact player playing on the opposite side of Hill, which provides him plenty of one-on-one coverage.

7. OLB Jaelan Phillips — This former University of Miami standout has the size, strength, athleticism, intellect and work ethic to become one of the NFL’s top pass rushers. All he’s missing is consistency, and to be placed in the right scheme, one that requires him to go forward far more than backward.

8. OLB Bradley Chubb — Chubb hasn’t had a double-digit sack season since his rookie year in 2018. The Dolphins are hopeful that a reunion with his former head coach, Vic Fangio, the Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator, will allow him to become the force he was expected to be coming out of North Carolina State, justifying the $110 million contract the Dolphins recently gave him.

9. DT Christian Wilkins — Wilkins totaled 98 tackles in 2022, which was the most by any NFL defensive lineman in a season since at least 1994. He’s a reliable starter and emotional leader for the Dolphins. But to enter the stratosphere of the elites he must contribute more than the 11.5 sacks he’s logged the past four seasons in 64 games.

10. FS Jevon Holland — Over the past two seasons, Holland has showcased the talent to become one of the best safeties in the NFL. He’s a productive tackler with range and ball skills. Fangio’s scheme, which focuses on creating turnovers, has helped a couple of safeties blossom, so expect Holland to be next if he can stay healthy in 2023.

Alain Poupart's Top 10	Omar Kelly's Top 10
WR Tyreek Hill	WR Tyreek Hill
CB Jalen Ramsey	CB Xavien Howard
T Terron Armstead	T Terron Armstead
CB Xavien Howard	QB Tua Tagovailoa
DT Christian Wilkins	CB Jalen Ramsey
S Jevon Holland	WR Jaylen Waddle
WR Jaylen Waddle	OLB Jaelan Phillips
QB Tua Tagovailoa	OLB Bradley Chubb
OLB Jaelan Phillips	DT Christian Wilkins
G Robert Hunt	S Jevon Holland