Miami Dolphins: Early Rookie Progress Reports

The offseason workout program has barely begun, but the Miami Dolphins' rookies have wasted no time in making their first impressions.

From first-round wide receiver DeVante Parker to undrafted free-agent kicker Andrew Franks, the Dolphins' rookies are already making plays in practice. 

Nobody is going to validate their draft status in May—or even in June, July and August for that matter—but in order to get a chance to prove themselves in September, the rookies have to make good use of the full calendar to show what they can do.

So, which rookies are making noise as the Dolphins begin practicing?

DeVante Parker

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

When the Dolphins drafted DeVante Parker in the first round, it was clear that their intention was for him to become the new go-to target for quarterback Ryan Tannehill. 

According to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, that's exactly what seems to be happening. He wrote: 

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For starters, he knows how to use his 6'3" frame, extending for several catches and making it appear that if Ryan Tannehill can put the ball anywhere near this guy, there's an excellent chance it'll be a completion. You also get the sense that developing chemistry with Parker should be—must be—much faster than it ever was with Mike Wallace.

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The Dolphins have assembled what could only be described as a massive physical upgrade at wide receiver by getting rid of the old guard and bringing in new blood at the position. The next step is assimilating them into the offense and getting everyone on the same page. That process needs to unfold quicker than a bunny on Adderall in order for everyone to be in sync by the start of the season in a little over three months.  

Jay Ajayi

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

Dolphins running back Lamar Miller weighs in at roughly 225 pounds after adding some muscle this offseason, but it's fair to wonder whether he made the right choice. He's capable of carrying the torch, but his skill set is conducive to making big plays in the open field.

The Dolphins needed to round out their running back depth chart with a more capable between-the-tackles runner, and they did exactly that when they selected Boise State running back Jay Ajayi. Now, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald points out that Ajayi should fall very high on the pecking order at running back. 

"Jay Ajayi is the front-runner to back up Lamar Miller and could eventually challenge Miller for a starting job," Jackson wrote.

Ajayi was considered a potential second-round pick, but he slid into the fifth round due to concerns over the durability of his knee, which is "bone-on-bone," according to NFL Network's Mike Mayock (via Rotoworld). That being said, those concerns may be a bit overblown when you consider that Ajayi has already proven he can handle a heavy workload after totaling 398 touches in 2014 and at least 250 touches in each of the past two seasons. 

Cedric Thompson

John Raoux/Associated Press

Dolphins safety Louis Delmas tore his ACL roughly six months ago, so it's astonishing that he's "borderline full-go," according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. 

In the meantime, the Dolphins need to keep their eyes on rookie safety Cedric Thompson, who could eventually fill Delmas' spot at safety—whether it's sometime in 2015 or after Delmas' one-year deal runs up following this season. 

According to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, Thompson is already making plays at practice, and had "a nice pass break-up during team drills."

Make no mistake; one practice is not going to define a player as the future at his position, but for a rookie safety to be making plays in the first sessions of his first season of practice is a promising sign that the game is not too fast for him and that he can catch on quickly.

Those are traits he will need as he attempts to make his case for a chance at a starting role in the future.

Andrew Franks

For all the attention devoted to the quarterback, wide receivers and defensive tackles on the Dolphins roster, there's one battle that's heating up at a position where Dolphins fans have been clamoring to see some change: kicker.

Caleb Sturgis didn't have to fight for his job last summer, but the Dolphins made sure to keep him honest this year by signing undrafted free agent Andrew Franks to the roster. According to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, Franks hit a field goal "in the 50-yard range under duress" in a Saturday practice.

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What kind of duress? Practice was about to end, music was blaring, players were lined up on either side of him acting goofy, yet he shut it out. I'd say Franks is a rookie from RPI, but then you'd probably wonder if he had something to do with choosing the field for the NCAA Tournament and busting your bracket. In this case, RPI is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

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And in this case, a rookie from an unknown school has a chance to oust a third-year pro from Florida. Sturgis will have to do better than his career 77.5 conversion percentage if he wants to keep his job. It looks like Franks is equal to the task of unseating Sturgis as the starting kicker.