The Miami Dolphins are set to face off against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, but there are still some big questions regarding what this South Florida team can look like in 2026.

With a new head coach in Jeff Hafley, a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan, and sweeping changes, the Dolphins remain a mystery.

The team has mostly been pegged as a bottom dweller considering the roster construction, and there are many who are already counting Miami at.

That said, here is how they stack up in the power rankings for some of the biggest publications.

The NFL.com folks appear to have the same judgment as a great deal of analysts, fans, and more, as the Dolphins have come in dead last in their power rankings. The reasoning behind the bottom rankings is having the "thinnest roster" in the league. 

Miami does have a thin roster in terms of having a ton of players that nobody quite knows can emerge as playmakers. One player mentioned by the NFL is rookie wide receiver Chris Bell, who has recovered miraculously from a torn ACL that he sustained in November 2025.

Bell could be a surprise playmaker in the offense, and he will get that chance come Week 1. 

NBC Sports and Pro Football Talk were a bit kinder to the Dolphins, placing them at No. 28 overall. This is ahead of the New York Jets (29), Las Vegas Raiders (30), Cleveland Browns (31), and the Arizona Cardinals (32). 

"The right culture is in place. Do they have the right players?" The ranking stipulates.

Again, Hafley does seem to be getting the Miami players to buy into what he is selling, but now it will need to all come together. Should it, the Dolphins could surprise many and be competitive in each and every game.

Similar to NFL.com, The Athletic believes that the Dolphins are simply too much of an unknown due to their roster.

"How do you end up below the Cardinals? It’s partly due to their roster. And it’s partly by getting destroyed by the Giants in a joint practice that was apparently so one-sided that Brian Burns called it “dominant,” noting that a report of six New York sacks was underselling it. Looks like a long year ahead for Miami," the ranking states.

Similar to what has been the consensus for the Dolphins in 2026, their 4.5 win total for most sportsbooks and the general vibe is that this team will be far too rough around the edges to make a splash this season.

It makes sense, considering both Hafley and Sullivan have also spoken about playing the long game and not wanting to judge the team on wins and losses. However, that is truly the only metric that counts in the NFL.

The good news about the Dolphins is they are on equal ground with the rest of the league. Everybody is 0-0, and Miami could very well climb up the power rankings in Week 2 should they shock and beat the Raiders decisively.