After finishing 9-8 and sneaking into the playoffs last season, the Miami Dolphins aim to build on that progress in 2023. Following an offseason of moves, can Mike McDaniel’s squad take a leap next year?

Let’s take a look back at Miami’s offseason moves as we preview the Dolphins’ 2023 campaign.

Everything You Need Ahead of the Miami Dolphins 2023 NFL Season

While the Dolphins’ offense might not look all that different next season, Miami has added several pieces — and a new coordinator — on the defensive side of the ball.

Miami Dolphins Roster Changes

• Players Signed
  • QB Mike White
  • RB Raheem Mostert
  • RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
  • WR Chosen Anderson
  • WR Braxton Berrios
  • TE Eric Saubert
  • TE Durham Smythe
  • OL Dan Feeney
  • EDGE Malik Reed
  • EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
  • LB David Long Jr.
  • LB Duke Riley
  • CB Justin Bethel
  • CB Nik Needham
  • S DeShon Elliott
  • P Jake Bailey
• Players Acquired Via Trade
  • CB Jalen Ramsey
    • The Dolphins acquired Ramsey from the Rams in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick (No. 77) and TE Hunter Long.

• Players Drafted
  • CB Cam Smith
  • RB Devon Achane
  • WR/TE Elijah Higgins
  • OT Ryan Hayes
• Players Lost
  • QB Teddy Bridgewater
  • WR Trent Sherfield (Bills)
  • TE Mike Gesicki (Patriots)
  • TE Hunter Long (Rams)
  • OT Greg Little
  • OT Brandon Shell
  • EDGE Melvin Ingram
  • DT John Jenkins (Raiders)
  • LB Elandon Roberts (Steelers)
  • S Eric Rowe (Panthers)
  • P Thomas Morestead (Jets)

Over the past six months, the Dolphins’ most significant transactions have both been trades. Miami got a headstart on acquisition season by picking up Bradley Chubb from the Broncos at the 2022 trade deadline. Then, they acquired cornerback Ramsey from the rebuilding Rams, giving up just a third-round pick in the process.

Those two veterans, along with free agent linebacker Long, will help the new-look Dolphins defense transform under new coordinator Vic Fangio. Miami has plenty of young stars on its defense, including Christian Wilkins, Jaelan Phillips, and Jevon Holland, and this unit now has decent depth to account for any injury issues.

On offense, the Dolphins will bring back every major contributor aside from Gesicki and Sherfield. Mostert and Wilson were re-signed on cheap deals to land Miami’s backfield, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if second-rounder Achane is atop the club’s depth chart by the end of the season.

The Dolphins swapped out Teddy Bridgewater, last year’s backup quarterback, for White, who could provide a bit more juice in the event Tua Tagovailoa goes down again. After Tua suffered multiple concussions in 2022 and then considered retirement, Miami can’t do enough to ensure they’re protected behind their starting QB.

Miami Dolphins Coaching Staff in 2023

• Head coach: Mike McDaniel
• Offensive coordinator: Frank Smith
  • QB coach: Darrell Bevell
  • RB coach: Eric Studesville
  • WR coach: Wes Welker
  • TE coach: John Embree
  • OL coach: Butch Barry
• Defensive coordinator: Vic Fangio
  • DL coach: Austin Clark
  • LB coach: Anthony Campanile
  • OLB coach: Ryan Slowik
  • Secondary coach: Renaldo Hill
  • CB coach: Sam Madison
  • Safeties coach: Joe Kasper
• Special teams coordinator: Danny Crossman

Fangio, replacing Josh Boyer, could be the key to the Dolphins’ 2022 season. Miami’s defense was hardly terrible under Boyer, as the unit ranked 15th and 10th in DVOA over the past two respective seasons. But Fangio, now the NFL’s highest-paid defensive coordinator, is one of the best defensive play-callers in league history. He’s a true innovator who should be able to harness the Dolphins’ collection of talent into a coherent force.

Predicting the Miami Dolphins Depth Chart

Offensive Depth Chart

• QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
• RB: Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Devon Achane, Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin
• WR: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Chosen Anderson, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Erik Ezukanma
• TE: Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert, Elijah Higgins
• LT: Terron Armstead, Kendall Lamm
• LG: Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones
• C: Connor Williams, Dan Feeney
• RG: Robert Hunt, Lester Cotton
• RT: Austin Jackson, Geron Christian

Defensive Depth Chart

• DT: Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis
• EDGE: Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, Emmanuel Ogbah, Andrew Van Ginkel, Malik Reed
• LB: Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley, Channing Tindall
• CB: Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Cam Smith, Nik Needham, Keion Crossen, Noah Igbinoghene
• S: Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Verone McKinley III

Special Teams Depth Chart

• K: Jason Sanders
• P: Jake Bailey
• LS: Blake Ferguson
• KR: Braxton Berrios
• PR: Braxton Berrios

2022 Results and Standings

Three straight wins. Three straight losses. Five straight wins. Five straight losses. And then a playoff-sealing, Week 18 victory with their third-string quarterback under center.

The Dolphins’ regular season was a roller coaster, to say the least. Miami’s up-and-down 9-8 campaign was due in part to Tagovailoa missing multiple games, but the Fins were also just a streaky team.

After Skylar Thompson led the Dolphins to an 11-6 win over the Jets in Week 18 to clinch a Wild Card berth, the seventh-round rookie was forced to start again in Miami’s playoff game against the division-rival Bills.

Although Buffalo was favored by 13.5 points, the Dolphins kept the score close and had multiple fourth-quarter chances to tie the game, but the Bills eventually held on for a 34-31 win.

2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook

The Dolphins rank eighth in Dalton Miller’s post-draft power rankings, which puts them squarely in the NFL contention stratosphere.

There’s no reason to doubt that McDaniel can coax another dominant season out of Miami’s offense. Tagovailoa looked like an entirely different quarterback in McDaniel’s scheme, while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were among the league’s best receivers. There are still holes along the Dolphins’ offensive line, but the club was able to overcome those deficiencies a season ago.

On defense, the addition of Fangio gives hope that Miami can produce a top-10 — or even top-five — defense in 2023. The Dolphins have the talent at every level to post authoritative defensive performances week in and week out, especially if they can stave off some of the injury concerns that have affected them in recent years.

If Miami played in the NFC, they’d be a shoo-in for a playoff spot. But the AFC — specifically, the AFC East — is a different beast. Now that the Jets have acquired Aaron Rodgers to fill their quarterback vacancy, the Dolphins might only be the third-best team in their division.

With three Wild Card spots on the table, Miami still has an excellent shot at the postseason. But they’ll have to compete with the Ravens, Chargers, Browns, Steelers, and Patriots for those fifth through seventh seeds if they can’t find a way to win the AFC East.