Kelly: Investment in youth needs to produce payoff for Dolphins

Sports admin October 5, 2026 0 Comments

Kelly: Investment in youth needs to produce payoff for Dolphins | Opinion

Imagine playing a future Pro Bowler so well he wasn’t a factor in the contest.

Kadyn Proctor played a large part in erasing Chris Jones from last Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and his performance against one of the NFL’s elites — who finished the game with two tackles and one batted down pass — should do wonders for the rookie’s confidence.

If the Dolphins 2026 first-round pick can do that — be forceful against a future Hall of Famer — in his third NFL start what’s the ceiling for the former University of Alabama standout?

“[I’m] just building confidence. Going out and playing physical,” said Proctor, who made his fourth start in Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. “Like I’ve been saying from the start, [I’m] just being the aggressor and playing physical.”

Proctor’s mind-set on each snap is to lay someone out, and he’s using his gigantic 6-foot-7, 360-pound frame to do it regularly.

Right assignment or not, which Miami’s coaches admit isn’t always the case, Proctor committed to putting someone on the ground, and the Dolphins — who want to build a physical team under new head coach Jeff Hafley — can work with that.

That’s what these coaches want to see week to week, game to game because it indicates growth, which is what the 2026 season’s all about for Miami.

That’s the journey, and process for all the Dolphins’ youngsters — first-, second- and some third-year players — on this year’s rebuilding team.

This season’s about throwing all the young players into the deep end of the pool and seeing who will learn how to swim.

Miami’s figuring out who has the mental makeup to survive the struggles.

Who can play with the tone and identity Hafley demands?

Can they progressively grow, get better, develop to the point they become consistent playmakers, and make fewer mistakes each week?

In this journey they will have hiccups from game to game. Guys will make a mistake that will lead to busted assignments, penalties, big plays for the opponents, if not a touchdown. But the true measuring stick for this season is how each responds to it.

Chris Johnson, the Dolphins’ other 2026 first-round pick, got picked on by Kirk Cousins in Miami’s season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He was credited with two touchdowns the Raiders scored, and the lingering question was how would it impact his confidence?

It seemingly didn’t, and Johnson has shown steady improvement each week.

The same can be said for Proctor, a college tackle whom Miami decided to play at left guard this season to help ease him into the NFL.

Turns out, since Proctor has been a major catalyst in the run game, routinely moving defensive tackles at guard, there’s some thought that guard, and not tackle, might be his future home.

“I think he can be a dominant guard, especially in the run game. With that size, you don’t find guys like that who can play inside and move the way he does,” said offensive line coach Zach Yenser. “I’ve been very happy with him at guard. I do believe he can play anywhere we want him to. But I think he’s found a good home at left guard right now.”

But Proctor and Douglas aren’t the only rookies excelling.

Caleb Douglas’ NFL debut, a five-reception-for-94-yard performance, incredibly encouraging. But that was before he sustained a right ankle injury that has sidelined him for two weeks.

His absence opened the door for Chris Bell to step up, delivering a 47-yard reception off a slant in last week’s loss to the Chiefs.

It was the first time the 2026 third-round pick, who has spent 10 months rehabbing an ACL injury he sustained last November, showcased the run-after-catch skills that had the former Louisville standout in the discussion as a possible first-round pick before his injury.

Jacob Rodriguez served as the green dot player for the Dolphins defense, and his performance in his first three games — a team leading 28 tackles (three for loss), one interception and one pass deflection – has the 2026 second-round pick viewed as a front-runner NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

All Rodriguez needs to do is keep producing.

Same for safety Michael Taaffe, a 2026 fifth-round pick who has produced 18 tackles and one interception. He’s serving as the defense’s last line of defense, the player who ties everything together in the secondary.

Will Kacmarek is showcasing himself as one of the NFL’s most forceful in-line tight ends, which is exactly the reason Miami drafted the former Ohio State starter in the third round.

But it’s not just the rookies shining. Second- and third-year players such as defensive linemen Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, offensive guard Jonah Savaiinaea, safety Dante Trader Jr., receiver Malik Washington, pass rusher Chop Robinson and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. have taken the next step forward.

The Dolphins organization views each snap these players take as an investment in the future of this franchise.

And the hope is that they won’t have to wait too long to cash out.

This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 3:06 PM.