Miami Dolphins Who've Turned Heads in Offseason Workouts

With so many fresh faces at organized team activities, the Miami Dolphins aren't even close to evaluating their roster just yet.

Right now, they're just beginning the teaching phase of the offseason program, whether it's tweaks or overhauls, as new players and veterans are going through the process of installing the offensive and defensive schemes.

But even in this early stage of the workout program, there are still opportunities for players to show that they are ahead of the learning curve. This is also a time when players can begin to apply what they've learned in the meeting room to what they're being asked to do on the field.

So which players are making the most of their opportunities and proving they're not in over their head?

CB Tony Lippett

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As mentioned in the intro slide, OTAs are a time for learning, not for competing. Don't tell that to rookie cornerback Tony Lippett, though. He's learning a new position and proving he can compete at that position.

The Michigan State wide receiver came down with three interceptions in practice last Monday, according to Alain Poupart of MiamiDolphins.com. Let's not crown him the second coming of Richard Sherman yet, but Lippett is proving he can make the same transition that the Seattle Seahawks star cornerback made coming out of Stanford. And at 6'2" and 192 pounds, he has the size to pull off a similar style of play.

Head coach Joe Philbin discussed Lippett's performance: 

"

He doesn't have a ton of position experience [at cornerback] in games, but he seems to be a guy that's learned the system pretty well. Every rep that he gets is extremely valuable at this stage of his development. I caught a couple of [the interceptions], and he went up and high-pointed one of the balls. He was in the right place at the right time.

"

With a deep battle among young and veteran cornerbacks for the right to start opposite Brent Grimes, Lippett is finding ways to stick out despite having to make one of the most difficult overall transitions of anyone else in that battle. 

WR Jarvis Landry

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The Dolphins have made a lot of changes to their roster this offseason, and that process began with the complete overhaul of the wide receiver position.

With Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson all on their way out, and with Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker all on their way in, the Dolphins are hoping that a brand new set of skill-position players can get on the same page with Ryan Tannehill in one offseason.

If not, there could be a lot of pressure on second-year wide receiver Jarvis Landry, one of only two holdovers from last year's group. If his OTA performance is any indication, Landry could be up to the challenge. 

"Jarvis Landry is a known quantity as the slot," writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. "The Dolphins are giving him some reps on the outside to see what happens. Let me suggest he is a very good slot receiver. And that is probably where he's best suited."

Landry hauled in 84 passes last season, the second-most of any rookie wideout in 2014 besides New York Giants receiver and former LSU teammate Odell Beckham Jr. After such a hot start, there's no reason to doubt his ability to step his game up even further in 2015. 

DT Ndamukong Suh

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It should come as no surprise that defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is standing out at OTAs. The Dolphins probably didn't pay him a guaranteed $60 million to blend in. 

He's already caught the eye of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, who is thrilled at the prospect of plugging Suh in next to Cameron Wake on the defensive line. 

Coyle said, via TheFinsiders.com:

"

He's a rare talent. He's a smart player, he's powerful and quick. He anticipates things very well like a lot of the great players do, it's not just sheer brute strength, although he has that. He's really a unique athlete and because of that he'll make players around him better, and players around him will make him better.

"

Not everything has gone perfectly for Suh up to this point. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald notes that Suh jumped offside a couple of times in the first practice, but according to John Congemi of MiamiDolphins.com, Suh was "playing with great explosiveness and continually pushing the pocket into the quarterback" in his other opportunities. 

Suh missed the first few sessions of voluntary practice, but now that he's joined the team at practice, he's making his presence felt. 

TE Jordan Cameron

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Tight end Jordan Cameron was brought in to keep the Dolphins competitive at tight end, regardless of the outcome of the Charles Clay negotiations, and to provide the Dolphins with more red-zone options. If early indications at organized team activities hold firm, Cameron will provide Ryan Tannehill another talented, big-bodied target when the Dolphins are in striking range of the end zone.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins' new tight end caught two touchdown passes in red-zone drills on Monday. Salguero accurately points out that this is as much of an indictment of the team's linebackers as it is an endorsement of Cameron's ability, but at least Tannehill can be more confident in his red-zone options this year.

The Dolphins scored on only 51.5 percent of their red-zone possessions in 2014, according to TeamRankings.com, which ranked 21st in the NFL. For that reason, it's not hard to envision Cameron being a linchpin for the Dolphins offense in 2015. 

K Andrew Franks

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With Caleb Sturgis (above) missing from practice, rookie Andrew Franks is getting his opportunity to kick.

There is such a thing as turning heads for the wrong reasons. 

With kicker Caleb Sturgis out of practice with a leg injury, the Dolphins turned to rookie kicker Andrew Franks, an undrafted free agent from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The results have been less than satisfying, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. 

"

Rookie Andrew Franks took all the kicks today and didn't exactly shine. He made kicks from 36, 44 and 44 but missed from 44 and 49 yards. Yeah, um, it is time for the personnel department to be on the lookout for a veteran kicker—someone who can 1. stay healthy and, 2. make kicks consistently. That is something no Dolphins kicker has been able to do for a couple of years.

"

The Dolphins are hoping their offense will be at the top of its game this season, and that they will not have to call on the services of their kicker too much in 2015. If that's not the case, they could be in trouble—whether Sturgis is healthy or not. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.