Miami Dolphins' Top 5 OTA storylines: Jeff Hafley, Malik Willis impact
Joe SchadMIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins opened organized team activities on Monday, May 18.
The Dolphins' practice on Tuesday, May 19, is expected to be open to reporters, as only some of the spring workouts are open.
All training camp practices will be open to reporters in the summer, and many of those practices will also be open to fans.
Coach Jeff Hafley, quarterback Malik Willis and running back De'Von Achane want to set a different tone in 2026, with a emphasis on toughness, physicality, focus and effort.
Miami missed the postseason in 2024 and 2025 after making it in 2022 and 2023.
Miami's offseason training will conclude with a mandatory minicamp June 2-4 and OTA's June 8, 9 and 11.
Then the entire NFL shuts down for five or six weeks before training camp.
Top 5 Miami Dolphins OTA storylines
Jeff Hafley sets a tone
First-year coach Jeff Hafley has said there will be intense and difficult practices. This is good. In recent years, Miami has prioritized rest and maintenance. But there needs to be a tone shift. And Hafley is going to deliver it. Will players be running more after mistakes or after practice in general? Perhaps. Will practices be a bit longer? Perhaps. But Hafley has said that essentially the word soft makes him cringe. He wants to end that perception.
Malik Willis leadership
Quarterbacks growing into a leadership role can be cliche. Every year, quarterbacks allegedly take the next step. But let's see Malik Willis show he's got this. Let's see Malik Willis take command and show the guys it's going to be his team. Willis is not especially vocal. But he has a chance to be an Alpha on a team full of very young players that will be seeking someone to follow.
Kadyn Proctor at guard
Kadyn Proctor has not played guard but he's going to be asked to play left guard as a rookie. It's certainly possible that staying on the left side of the line gives Proctor an advantage that Jonah Savaiianea did not enjoy as a rookie. It seems Proctor will be the emergency left tackle in the event of any issue with Patrick Paul. Then, next season, Proctor could potentially go to left or right tackle. Left tackle Paul could potentially shift to right tackle. But that's a 2027 issue.
Jacob Rodriguez first-team?
It seems likely Jacob Rodriguez will start alongside Jordyn Brooks in 2026. Does this put Tyrel Dodson on the bench? Could the three of them be on the field at the same time? That would not seem likely. Miami could use a third linebacker like Willie Gay or Kyle Louis or Trey Moore alongside Rodriguez or Brooks at times. Or the Dolphins could just use two linebackers when more defensive backs are on the field. Does Rodriguez start off as Miami's "green dot" on-field play-caller right away?
Wide Receivers problem
It would seem rookie receiver Chris Bell, a potential impact player, is still recovering from a knee injury that ended his last season at Louisville. How do rookie receivers Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman look? How quickly do they pick up Miami's offense? Will they beat out veterans Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell and/or Malik Washington for playing time? Does someone like Terrace Marshall or Tahj Washington surprise? Who does Willis build a trust with? This should be interesting.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.