Analysis: Achane opened 11-on-11 team drills Tuesday with an impressive run, and he logged a pair of big plays to close out the day, one in the receiving game via a deep pass from Tua Tagovailoa, and one via a hole opened by the interior O-line. It's encouraging to see Achane meshing well with Miami's revamped O-line, especially against a bolstered pass rush that includes a healthy Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, while returning Zach Sieler and Chop Robinson. Achane remains the Dolphins' clear lead back after a stellar sophomore season in which he tallied career-high totals across the board with 203 carries for 907 yards (4.5 YPC) and six scores, plus an outstanding 78-592-6 receiving line on 87 targets. Miami's decision to replace tight end Jonnu Smith (traded to Pittsburgh) with Darren Waller, who spent last season retired from the NFL, leaves Achane with less target competition in the short and intermediate area of the field, and the combination of Jaylen Wright, Alexander Mattison and Ollie Gordon look more like threats for short-yardage duties than the overall backfield workload.

Analysis: Coming back from a one-year retirement, Waller remains on the active/PUP list during the first week of Dolphins training camp. It may be a matter of conditioning more so than any injury, but McDaniel didn't necessarily sound like he expects the tight end to be a full practice participant anytime soon. Waller will turn 33 in September, and while there's plenty of time to ramp up before Week 1, his role may mostly be limited to clear passing situations (at least initially).

Analysis: He's back healthy after missing June minicamp with an undisclosed injury. Westbrook-Ikhine is on a two-year, $5.99 million contract that includes $3.2 million guaranteed, following an unusual 2024 in which he accounted for nine of Tennessee's 22 receiving TDs despite ranking fifth on the team in receptions (32). He and Malik Washington are the top candidates for Miami's WR snaps behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Analysis: With that in mind, McDaniel indicated that the team is simply taking a preventative and responsible approach by easing Waller into the mix. In terms of the tight end's physical readiness at the onset of training camp, McDaniel added, "this is a well-conditioned athlete who's in great shape." Once Waller re-takes the field, he'll have an opportunity to fill the void created by the trade of fellow TE Jonnu Smith (88 catches for Miami in 2024), who was traded to the Steelers last month.

Analysis: Hill added that he's been working out hard this offseason and has something to prove coming off a down 2024 season. He's reportedly down to 183 pounds at the start of camp, according to Wolfe, and claims he hasn't lost any of his trademark speed. Hill is entering his age-31 season and is coming off a year in which he failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving for the first time since 2019, despite starting all 17 regular-season contests. Having Tua Tagovailoa back healthy will certainly help, but there's risk in using an early-round fantasy pick on 31-year-old Hill. His yards per game dropped dramatically from 2023 (112.4) to 2024 (career-low 56.4). The plus is that there will be plenty of targets in a concentrated Miami passing offense that figures to feed Hill, Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane and even newcomer Darren Waller.

Analysis: Waller can be activated at any time, but he's going to miss at least the start of training camp to get himself back in playing shape after spending the 2024 campaign out of the league. The Dolphins traded for Waller earlier this month in a late-round pick swap with the Giants. It remains to be seen what Waller has left in the tank and if he can stay healthy, but he's an intriguing late-round fantasy option at tight end. There are targets to be claimed behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the Miami passing offense.

Analysis: Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel praised Westbrook-Ikhine, saying he's "locked in," but he also acknowledged that the free-agency signee missed time earlier this offseason due to injury, per Schad. There aren't any indications that Westbrook-Ikhine is dealing with anything that could jeopardize his availability for the start of training camp, but it's worth noting that he's missed some opportunities during early installs. Westbrook-Ikhine also acknowledged that he's still working to establish a role for himself in Miami's offense, but he expressed optimism that he'll settle in behind Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle during camp. Second-year pro Malik Washington represents his top competition for the No. 3 receiver role.

Analysis: Hill didn't participate in team drills at the start of mandatory minicamp, but it was a positive sign to see him catching passes for the first time since undergoing a pair of offseason wrist surgeries. The 31-year-old veteran remains on track to be fully cleared closer to training camp. After tallying over 1,700 receiving yards and a combined 20 touchdowns in 2022 and 2023, Hill regressed to the tune of an 81-959-6 receiving line in 2024 despite suiting up for all 17 regular-season games. Hill will be a value in 2025 fantasy drafts if he can bounce back to something resembling his usual form, though the days of him being a candidate to lead the league in receiving yards are likely in the past.

Analysis: Wright entered the NFL as a 2024 fourth-round pick anticipated to join De'Von Achane as a big-play threat out of the backfield, courtesy of his 4.38 speed, but he wrapped an uneventful rookie year with just 68 carries for 249 yards (3.7 YPC) and zero touchdowns, with just one rush of 20-plus yards. Achane remains Miami's clear No. 1 tailback but is limited by a small frame and handled 281 touches in 2024, so the Dolphins should be eager for another playmaker capable of handling consistent carries to emerge. Wright still faces clear opportunity if he can impress this offseason, and coach Mike McDaniel talked up his effort during OTAs, but he'll have to compete with two larger backs in the form of experienced veteran Alexander Mattison (5-11, 220 pounds) and rookie sixth-round pick Ollie Gordon (6-1, 226 pounds), both of whom are better suited for power concepts.

Analysis: McDaniel said he "wouldn't get into personal matters" concerning Smith's absence, per C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald, which comes in the wake of the tight end having expressed his desire for a reworked contract and subsequently being floated as a trade candidate. Smith broke out with a career-best 88-884-8 receiving line (111 targets) across 17 regular-season appearances with the Dolphins in 2024, establishing himself as a focal point of the passing game despite the presence of both Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle. He's heading into the final season of his two-year deal with Miami and is slated to carry just a $3.49 million base salary and $4.6 million cap hit for 2025, lesser figures than the likes of Austin Hooper, Will Dissly and Josh Oliver. It's possible Smith's holdout continues indefinitely if the Dolphins don't acquiesce to a contract adjustment that at least somewhat reflects his 2024 production.

Analysis: Tagovailoa looked sharp throwing Tuesday despite rainy field conditions, per Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and he's displayed no lingering issues related to the hip injury that forced him to sit out the final two regular-season games of 2024. Now heading into Year 4 in McDaniel's offense, and with top wideouts Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle returning, the stage is set for Tagovailoa to hit the ground running in 2025, with excuses running out if this team again underperforms compared to expectation. In response to the concussion and hip injuries that partially derailed Tagovailoa in 2024, McDaniel deployed a new offensive philosophy prioritizing short-area targets to De'Von Achane and Jonnu Smith at the expense of Hill and Waddle. One of the largest offseason questions for 2025 fantasy projections remains whether the Dolphins reprise a similar approach, which would help keep Tagovailoa from taking hits behind an already-poor offensive line that lost Terron Armstead to retirement, or return to the aggressive stance that saw the southpaw turn in a league-leading 4,624 passing yards while playing all 17 regular-season games in 2023. Recent trade rumors surrounding Smith, who desires a new contract after breaking out in 2024, suggest a willingness to de-prioritize targets to the tight end position and return to funneling things through Hill and Waddle.

Analysis: Smith, who earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2024 and set new franchise records at the tight end position for Miami in terms of essentially all pass-catching metrics, is currently heading into the final season of his two-year, $10 million contract with the team and slated for just a $3.49 million base salary in 2025. His involvement on offense came at the expense of star wideouts Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle, and was due in part to coach Mike McDaniel's offense uncharacteristically abandoning downfield aggression in favor of short-area targets to Smith and running back De'Von Achane. The Dolphins' willingness to engage in trade talks regarding Smith, even after his productive breakout, could signal a desire for the team to resume primarily featuring Hill and Waddle, though that will only be possible if Tua Tagovailoa (hip) can remain healthier and an O-line that lost LT Terron Armstead to retirement is able to take a step forward. Pittsburgh should be considered a real suitor despite the presence of Pat Freiermuth, given offensive offensive coordinator's fondness for Smith, who he coached in both Tennessee and Atlanta.

Analysis: Conner missed the final eight games of the Dolphins' 2024 season due to a knee injury, but it now appears he's moved past the issue. The Idaho State product has appeared in 24 regular-season games since entering the league in 2022, playing primarily on special teams (293 snaps). He's expected to compete for a similar role in Miami throughout the summer.

Analysis: Waddle is coming off his worst season as a pro, having failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his NFL career with just a 58-744-2 receiving line (83 targets) across 15 regular-season games in 2024. As he works to bounce back entering his age-27 campaign, it's encouraging to see Waddle impressing early at practice with Tyreek Hill (wrist) sitting out most receiving drills. David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that Waddle put his speed on display Wednesday and torched Miami's defensive backs multiple times, though it's worth noting that Jalen Ramsey has not been present for voluntary practices. Waddle has fallen down fantasy draft boards significantly following his disappointing 2024 showing, but he could be in solid position to rebound if the Dolphins' offensive line can do a better job of keeping Tua Tagovailoa upright, and if coach Mike McDaniel's offense is able to return to its norm of manufacturing explosive plays in the intermediate and deep areas of the field rather than peppering De'Von Achane and Jonnu Smith with short targets.

Analysis: Hill has undergone two surgeries on his left wrist this offseason, and he said after Wednesday's practice that both wrists have bothered him, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, but the right side has been most bothersome and required a protective brace. Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reports that the 31-year-old wideout is participating in most drills other than catching and blocking, while McDaniel has previously stated that the Dolphins are expecting Hill to return to full strength closer to training camp in July. Injuries and an offense focused more on short-area throws to De'Von Achane and Jonnu Smith than downfield looks resulted in both Hill and Jaylen Waddle significantly regressing in 2024, sending both tumbling down 2025 fantasy draft boards. As long as Hill continues to not infrequently fall outside the top-12 drafted wide receivers he will carry undeniable fantasy upside, though there's serious risk that even with his wrist at full health he never again approaches production similar to the back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons he logged with Miami in 2022 and 2023.

Analysis: Hill previously had surgery on the wrist in question earlier this offseason. The original injury stemmed from a joint practice with the Commanders last August, but the veteran wide receiver played through the pain en route to an 81-959-6 line on 123 targets across 17 regular-season games. Each of those marks equated to campaign lows since joining the Dolphins in 2022, and his TD total matched a career low since he was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 Draft. Coach Mike McDaniel said in February that Hill likely won't resume football activities until "around summertime going into training camp," so there appears to be a good chance that he misses the entire offseason program in May and early June.

Analysis: Grier noted that Hill, who is recovering from wrist surgery, has been present at team facilities during the early portion of the offseason and is working with new wide receivers coach Robert Prince, per David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He dismissed the idea that team was actively looking to trade the veteran wideout by saying the organization would "consider it" for the unrealistic return of "two first-rounders," Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Things appeared fractured enough between Hill and Miami by the end of the 2024 season that a parting of ways seemed inevitable, but the 31-year-old has since made public efforts to mend fences. After surpassing 1,700 receiving yards in each of the prior two campaigns, Hill was limited to an 81-959-6 line across 17 regular-season appearances last year, enduring both a nagging wrist injury and quarterback difficulties.

Analysis: Brown is an experienced veteran tight end with proven capabilities as a rotational blocker. He handled such a role across 15 regular-season appearances with the Seahawks in 2024, averaging 16.3 offensive snaps per game while drawing only 12 total targets. That skillset fills an area of need for Miami, with Durham Smythe having departed for Chicago in free agency.

Analysis: Mattison is swapping teams with Raheem Mostert, whose deal with the Raiders was reported about two hours earlier. While Mostert perhaps has a chance to rebound from a disappointing 2024 and earn a key role, Mattison will merely be competing for a backup job behind De'Von Achane. The Dolphins presumably hope 2024 fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright secures the second spot on the depth chart, with Mattison essentially being a backup plan for the backup. It's a tough situation for earning playing time, albeit with the outside chance of a handsome payoff if injuries eventually thrust him into a starting role in Mike McDaniel's offense.

Analysis: Eskridge dealt with injuries in 2024, but he showed enough across his six regular-season appearances with Miami to convince the team to re-sign him. The gadget player and return man missed the Dolphins' regular-season finale against the Jets in Week 18 due to a finger issue, but he projects to be at 100 percent health for the start of offseason activities.