The Miami Dolphins are heading into 2026 with a brand-new everything. New front office, new coaching staff, and a roster full of new players. While teams with such huge changes are not often hit with impossible schedules, that is not the case for the South Florida football team.

Per win totals for opponents in 2026, the Dolphins have the second-hardest schedule in the league, as their opponents have a collective .542 win record from last season. To make matters worse, Miami will also travel the sixth-most miles and have an early BYE, but this much adversity has some big advantages.

The big bonus for the Dolphins' youngest roster is that there are a lot of inexperienced players who will get a lot of playing time. While that might not sound like much of an advantage, it does allow said younger players to show what they are truly made of.

General Jon-Eric Sullivan went out and put together a roster of low-cost and potentially high-reward free agents, which will give the 13 drafted rookies and potential UDFAs a chance to not only make the roster, but to take meaningful snaps in 2026.

The usual case for rookies who are not immediate impact players is they are shown lower on the depth chart and do not get much playing time in their first year. 

That will not be the case for the Dolphins, as many of the 13 rookies coming in are expected to either be starters or rotational players at the bare minimum.

Miami throwing their rookies to the proverbial fire may result in disastrous results, but it will speed these players up a lot faster than others. If certain rookies need more than a year to get going, they will get their shot on this Dolphins team.

What better story comes from winning through adversity? This Dolphins team is a complete unknown, practically from top to bottom. However, there are plenty of solid veteran players who are there to help guide their teammates.

Center Aaron Brewer, linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Jordyn Brooks, wide receiver Tutu Atwell, and more are all players who have been in the league several years and will be there to act as the role models for the younger players coming in and as the glue that will hold this roster together.

If the team can come together and first-time NFL head coach Jeff Hafley can guide the team to some big wins, it will be one of the best stories in the league, especially against such tough opponents.

The teams that the Dolphins play in 2026 include the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, and more. If Miami can gind out some wins against teams that will presumably be playoff contenders for multiple years, then this roster will know exactly what it takes to beat them in the future.

Similar to the above section, having to play with a torn-down roster might seem like a big negative for Malik Willis, but it's actually the best time for him to show exactly what he is made of.

Willis has six total starts in the NFL, despite being in the league since the 2022 season. He has not had a chance to truly be a starter, and now he will get one. The Dolphins signed him to a three-year deal, which is ultimately a one to two-year audition.

Against the kind of competition the Dolphins are facing, and with a roster full of players that are not expected to be superstars, Willis will look even better if he can band the team together.

The Dolphins are expected to only win a handful of games, if that, so the expectations are very low. Should the team rise to the occasion and blow past that number, they will be on a much better trajectory.

Willis also putting together a respectable campaign with few weapons will only lead to the team building around him even more in 2027 and beyond. 

Miami is projected to have the third-most cap space in 2027, and a wealth of rookie and young talent who can emerge as solid playmakers in 2026. If that all comes together in a solid way, Willis can only benefit from getting a true shot to be a franchise quarterback.