5 Miami Dolphins Players Poised for a Breakout Campaign in 2015

The Miami Dolphins have made headlines for an offseason loaded with big-name additions (defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, wide receiver Kenny Stills) and big-time subtractions (defensive tackles Jared Odrick and Randy Starks, linebackers Phillip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe, wide receivers Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson).

Some of those players are sure to have an impact, but they won't be the only ones determining the fate of the Dolphins' 2015 season. Far from it. 

If anything, holdover talents like linebacker Jelani Jenkins and wide receiver Jarvis Landry will have to continue to take steps forward in order to help the Dolphins cash in on the opportunity they've created for themselves to compete for a playoff spot.

Landry and Jenkins are a couple of the notable young guns who will be tasked with carrying the team in bigger roles, but there are other players who are also poised for breakout campaigns. 

Jarvis Landry

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What's a good way to follow up a breakout rookie campaign? A breakout second season. 

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry led the Dolphins by hauling in in 84 passes in his first year in the league, which is the third-most receptions of any rookie in the past decade. He secured 75 percent of the 112 passes thrown his way. He did all that while learning the playbook, getting acclimated to the NFL and getting on the same page with quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Imagine what he can do with a year of experience under his belt. 

There will be other weapons at Tannehill's disposal, but while Landry may not be the biggest threat to score touchdowns in the red zone at only 5'11" and 202 pounds, he will be one of their biggest threats out of the slot and over the middle. 

Landry's ability to create yards after the catch will make him a dangerous threat in those areas, and with DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills flanked out wide, defenses may not have the resources to devote to covering all three threats.

Jelani Jenkins

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Is there such a thing as a breakout by attrition? We'll find out in 2015 as third-year linebacker Jelani Jenkins attempts to fill a void created by the auspicious exits of Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe.

Jenkins went from barely factoring into the defense (127 snaps in 2013) to barely coming off the field (912 snaps in 2014) in the face of Ellerbe's injury. He was one of the NFL's most productive pass-rushing 4-3 outside linebackers, notching 11 total pressures (six hurries, two hits, three sacks) on only 52 pass-rush attempts. His blitzing services will be required in Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle's exotic scheme.

There's still some uncertainty for the Dolphins linebackers as it pertains to who will line up where. Koa Misi was a solid middle linebacker in his first year at the position, but he was a strong-side linebacker beforehand. There's a chance he could move back to the outside, but it depends on how other position battles break down. 

Jenkins manned the weak-side linebacker position last year, which should remain his position regardless of what happens.

Billy Turner

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Branden Albert checks the boxes at left tackle; Ja'Wuan James does the same at right tackle; Mike Pouncey is an anchor and a leader of the offensive line at center. The two guard spots, however, remain glaring question marks. The Dolphins drafted Arizona State's Jamil Douglas in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft, and he should be a front-runner for one spot. However, the other guard spot is still up for grabs.

Second-year project Billy Turner should be a fit in the Dolphins' zone-blocking scheme; NFL.com's Nolan Nawrocki described Turner as "light on his feet" while saying he has moldable tools to become an NFL starter:

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Big-framed, raw, aggressive FCS standout who flashes a nice combination of foot quickness, punch strength and nastiness to warrant consideration as a project. Has a bit of a bull-in-a-china-shop element at this stage of his career, but has moldable tools and could easily develop into at least a swing backup and potentially more.

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Dallas Thomas had his shot at both left guard and right guard in 2014, but did not inspire confidence in his abilities. Turner was a rookie last year and is making the switch from college tackle to pro guard, but he has all the tools and the talent to play the position.

Jay Ajayi

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In all walks of life, your best chance at success is to fill a need. Former Boise State running back Jay Ajayi has a chance to be everything the Dolphins lack in their backfield, and as a result, he could prove to be an immediate steal for the price of a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. 

Ajayi may not come close to matching the production he posted in college, where his 32 total touchdowns were the most by anyone in the nation in 2014. That being said, in a backfield full of scatbacks who excel at hitting the accelerator in the open field, Ajayi's ability to run hard between the tackles will earn him a lot of looks that Miami's other backs may not be able to compete for.

He's also one of the rare backs that doesn't have to come off the field in certain situations.

"Of all the backs in this draft, Ajayi might be my favorite because he can do everything you want from a back," said an AFC scout, according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, "and you don't have to find a complementary back to pick up the slack for him in any one area."

There are long-term concerns around the health of Ajayi's knee, but that's not going to stop him from contributing as a rookie and beyond.

Jordan Cameron

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Out with a 6'3" athletic tight end, in with a 6'5" athletic tight end.

Former Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Cameron may not be the perfect description of a breakout candidate since he's already had a highly productive season (80 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013), but his form of a breakout campaign would constitute anything where he plays more than 10 games and catches more than 25 passes—feats he has accomplished only once in his four-year career.

Plus, Cameron has never had a quarterback as skilled as Ryan Tannehill to throw him the ball. That alone should help put Cameron even more firmly on the map. 

The Dolphins were sorely lacking in red-zone threats in 2014, and with the additions of big-bodied pass-catchers like Cameron and wide receivers Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker, Tannehill will have plenty of jump-ball threats to target in tight windows.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.