Five years on from that infamous “tank” season of 2019, the Miami Dolphins are still searching for that elusive playoff win. Despite playoff appearances in both 2022 and 2023, they haven’t yet translated that into a postseason victory.
So what went wrong? Not the plan itself, but how it was put into action. That’s the surprising part.
The Blueprint: Building Through the Draft
The Dolphins had the luxury of entering the 2020 and 2021 drafts with a pretty impressive stockpile of picks. Nine of those were in the first two rounds across those two years. That gave them the resources to build a strong foundation through young talent-young talent that was supposed to be the future of the team.
In 2020, they had three first-round picks and two second-rounders. The following year, they added two more first-rounders and another second-rounder. That was the kind of draft capital that Philadelphia Eagles fans have come to know-and love-as the key to building a sustainable contender. The Dolphins were following that same model. They were also trading picks for established stars like Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey-the kind of players who were supposed to elevate the roster to elite status.
On paper, that approach should have worked. But execution is where things fell apart.
Where It All Went Wrong?
More Misses Than Hits
The Dolphins hit on some players but the misses have been brutal. Here’s a breakdown of their premium picks from 2020 and 2021:
- Tua Tagovailoa: Durability issues persist and while he made the Pro Bowl in 2023 he hasn’t elevated his game or his teammates in big moments.
- Austin Jackson: Struggled early and has been hurt since.
- Robert Hunt: Became a Pro Bowl guard but got hurt and was too expensive to keep.
- Jaylen Waddle: Good but not great like Ja’Marr Chase or Penei Sewell who were available when the Dolphins made those terrible trades.
- Jaelan Phillips & Jevon Holland: Solid but not stars.
- Noah Igbinoghene & Liam Eichenberg: Complete misses. Eichenberg may get another chance after re-signing.
Only one of these 9 premium picks made the Pro Bowl (Tagovailoa), which is a far cry from what you expect from those picks.
Injury Prone Players
The Dolphins rolled the dice on several injury prone players and hoped their issues were behind them. Instead injuries continued to plague key players like Bradley Chubb and Robert Hunt and the team’s depth and consistency suffered.
Missed Trades
Tyreek Hill has been a dynamic player but his off field issues have overshadowed his on field play. Bradley Chubb has been hurt and Jalen Ramsey while talented hasn’t been the game changer many thought he would be.
And the Dolphins could have drafted cornerstone players like Penei Sewell or Ja’Marr Chase who would have addressed major needs. Instead, they traded for players and are now chasing answers rather than stability.
The Bigger Picture: Good, But Not Good Enough
The 2023 season was the Dolphins in a nutshell. 11-4 to start, then collapse against the top AFC teams. They can’t compete with the best in the league and it’s a recurring theme: They’re good, but not quite good enough.
Injuries played a part, yes, but so did bad drafting and bad decisions. For all the resources they’ve invested in this rebuild, they haven’t assembled the front-line talent to challenge the AFC’s elite.
What Could Have Been
What if they’d stayed at 3 in the 2021 draft and taken Ja’Marr Chase instead of trading down? Or if they’d taken Penei Sewell over Jaylen Waddle—two players who are now foundation pieces for their teams.
Instead, the Dolphins continue to search for answers along the offensive line and secondary, areas where smarter drafting could have solidified their roster years ago.
Final Thoughts: Execution Over Planning
They had the right idea. Accumulating draft capital and trading for proven stars is a winning formula. But execution is everything and they just haven’t executed well enough.
From draft misses to bad trades, the margin between good and great has haunted this franchise. Until they fix that, playoff wins and Super Bowls will be out of reach.
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