Predicting Miami Dolphins' Training Camp Standouts
With training camp just days away, the Miami Dolphins are in the same boat as every other team. Some positions are set in stone, while other positions are still left with questions to be answered.
Like every other team, the Dolphins are hoping that those answers will reveal themselves in the form of particular players standing out from the crowd this summer.
Training camp standouts can turn into the stars of tomorrow if given the right opportunity and assuming they continue to build on their summer performance. There are several positions where there are opportunities for a player to carve out a role for himself. That's especially true given the sheer volume of changes the Dolphins made this offseason, particularly at wide receiver, defensive tackle and linebacker.
But those aren't the only positions where players have a chance to stand out, so here are five players who could make a name for themselves in training camp.
Greg Jennings
1 of 5
Most of the names you'll see on this list are young players looking to make a name for themselves. One player worth watching, and one potential standout, could be a player who has already earned his keep in the NFL and is looking to prove he still belongs in the discussion of dynamic playmakers at his position.
Wide receiver Greg Jennings hasn't been the dominant receiver of old, and he is a far cry from the receiver who posted at least 50 catches for 900 yards in five straight seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2007-2011), including three straight seasons with at least 68 catches and 1,100 yards (2008-2010). What Jennings is, however, is a savvy veteran who understands route-running and how to beat certain coverages.
What he lacks in speed and explosiveness, he makes up for in smarts.
Jennings could also get an extra opportunity to shine thanks to the absence of rookie DeVante Parker. The Dolphins' first-round pick is recovering from foot surgery and should be ready for Week 1, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. That could be Jennings' best bet if he hopes to prove himself worthy of significant playing time in the regular season.
Will Davis
2 of 5
Dolphins cornerback Will Davis looked primed to become one of their most valuable depth players in the secondary last year, but he tore his ACL and never made it past the midseason point. He's not settling for bench duty again in 2015, and according to Alain Poupart of MiamiDolphins.com, he's gunning for a starting spot.
He was participating in team drills this spring, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, which is a great sign for his return to health coming off knee surgery, but he may not be the same player he was last season.
Davis was solid in 2014, yielding only 12 receptions on 27 passes thrown his way, and although he allowed a touchdown, he also got his hands in on a pair of passes for breakups, according to Pro Football Focus. At the 2013 scouting combine, Davis posted a 6.52-second three-cone drill and a 4.02-second 20-yard shuttle, both among the top five performances at his position.
He entered the NFL as a prospect lacking in football experience, but he has a chance to cement himself as one of the top cornerbacks on the depth chart with a strong performance this summer.
Chris McCain
3 of 5
Chris McCain showed immense potential in training camp last season, but despite bursting onto the scene, he never truly got to build off his hot summer. McCain admitted to Omar Kelly on WQAM that he was "struggling with the playbook coming from the Pac-12, where there are a lot of spread schemes" and where he "didn't have too much responsibilities," but he said he is more focused on studying the playbook than he was last year.
He was also thrust into the background by the return of linebacker Dion Jordan from suspension. Now that the 2013 first-round pick is suspended for the entire 2015 season, McCain should have the inside track to fill Jordan's role as the "Jack" linebacker in the Dolphins defense. The 6'5", 250-pounder is capable of lining up both as an outside linebacker and as a defensive end, and he carried out both responsibilities last year.
This year, he will be much more needed at the linebacker position, where the Dolphins are dealing not only with the absence of Jordan, but also with the departures of Dannell Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler. He has obvious feel as a pass-rusher due to his experience at defensive end, but he also has the skill set to run with pass-catchers in coverage, and he even covered the slot at times during his college career.
With so much skill and so many opportunities to contribute, it would be a major disappointment if McCain didn't stand out at training camp.
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Jordan Phillips
4 of 5
Rookie defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has all of the attributes that could help him stand out in training camp. He's like a human forklift at 6'5" and 329 pounds with 34 ¾-inch arms, and although he's not particularly explosive off the line of scrimmage (5.17-second 40-yard dash, 30-inch vertical jump), he has the strength (28 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds) to move his man off the line of scrimmage.
One thing Phillips may not have, however, is an opportunity to run with the first-team defense. According to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Phillips was running with the second-team defense in practices this spring. Whether it's the top dogs or the backups whom he's lining up with and against, Phillips' measurables can't and won't be hidden.
The Dolphins drafted Phillips in the second round in an effort to replenish the depth at defensive tackle following the departures of Jared Odrick and Randy Starks earlier in the offseason. Phillips is unlike those two players in that he will serve more as a run-stuffing defensive tackle than as a pass-rushing one. For that reason, his role may not be as big in his rookie season as it could be later on in his career.
That being said, Phillips is one injury away from playing a significant role in the Dolphins defense. He may have dominated at the college level, but he has the skill set to measure up to the bigger, stronger offensive linemen he will see at the NFL level.
Jay Ajayi
5 of 5
It's impossible to know for sure which players will stand out at training camp, simply because one's status as a standout is often based on his performance relative to others at his position.
There are certain positions on the roster, though, that are more likely to yield a standout because they are more scrutinized or simply garner more attention. The running back position would fall into that category for the Dolphins because of the developing competition at the top of the depth chart.
Rookie running back Jay Ajayi could threaten Lamar Miller for carries, touches, snaps, catches, you name it in the Dolphins backfield. Ajayi is an every-down back, and he proved he can carry the weight of the running game on his shoulders. He led the nation in carries with 347 in 2014, and he also pulled in 50 catches. In total, his 397 touches and 32 total touchdowns were the most in the entire country.
Ajayi isn't going to replicate that kind of production in his rookie season, or probably ever, in a Dolphins offense that frequently ignores the running game.
Dolphins coaches may not be able to ignore Ajayi's explosiveness, as evidenced in a 39-inch vertical jump that was among the five highest at his position at the 2015 scouting combine. He also finished in the top five in the broad jump (131 inches), the 20-yard shuttle (4.1 seconds) and the 60-yard shuttle (11.1 seconds).
Give him a year to get acclimated and he could be the top dog in the Dolphins backfield. He won't need any time to show that he has the athleticism to burst onto the scene as a rookie.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics provided by ProFootballFocus.com. All scouting notes and combine information provided by NFL.com.
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