Miami Dolphins: 5 Players To Be Excited For in 2021
When it comes to the Miami Dolphins, there have been plenty of moves worth talking about. Some have been head-scratchers, others have panned out, and some have yet to reach full potential. With 2021 being the year the Dolphins need to prove they belong, who will be the most exciting to watch this season?
Noah Igbinoghene
The Dolphins used a first-round pick on Igbinoghene and in some people’s eyes that was a mistake. He was always going to be a developing player for Miami so the comments were “then why take him in the first round?”. That’s an easy one, he wasn’t going to be there the next time the team picked.
While Igbinoghene struggled last season, mostly against Stefon Diggs. After seeing their final game, the whole Dolphins team struggled against the Bills so cut the rookie some slack. After all, he’s only been playing the position a few short years. He’s got tremendous potential and you have to look no further than teammates Xavien Howard to see just how much a young CB can grow into his position.
Jaylen Waddle
Yes, the rookie first-round pick is going to be the default “player to watch”. Now that he’s reunited with Tua Tagovailoa it’ll be especially scrutinized. Waddle will be the spark that gets the offense going. While he will face the learning curve of the NFL, he’s the type of playmaker who picks up the tempo for an offense.
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Devante Parker
Yes, Dolphins fans have been hearing this year after year with little results. Parker has game-changing moments, but they’re inconsistent. With the Miami offense picking up so many players who spread the offense out, there will be plenty of mismatches. Chances are defenses will choose to cheat to the Fuller/Waddle side of the football and force one on one with Parker. Since Devante is more of the 50/50 receiver, he uses his size and athletic ability to go up and attack passes at their highest peak. Since defenders can play him a little closer he’ll more than likely get the man coverage which could create plenty of mismatches.
Andrew Van Ginkel
Defensively, Van Ginkel has been a delightful surprise. He made plays toward the end of last season and should earn some major playing time this season. If he continues to make incremental improvements he’ll be a game-changer in no time.
Byron Jones
Some will say that Jones wasn’t the player he was in Dallas, but that’s a lie. Jones should see more passes his way this season and have more opportunity to make the big play. He’s a workhorse so in this offseason, he’ll focus on his shortcomings from the season before, what little there were. This secondary has the potential to be something special and Jones and Howard will be its cornerstones.
Honorable mention:
Will Fuller
Fuller was the big move of the offseason. The problem is, teams will take notice. Fuller is a deep threat and will require the most attention. He’ll make plays for sure, he’s that good, but teams will put a lot of attention on him to not get behind defenses.
There’s plenty to look forward to with this new-look Miami Dolphins team. Who’s on your list of players to watch this season?
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.
