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MIAMI — It’s easy to look ahead to training camp at this stage of the Miami Dolphins‘ offseason program. Their offense is in the process of installing a new system, and neither side of the ball has worn shoulder pads during organized team activities or mandatory minicamp.

But that hasn’t mattered to players in the trenches — especially a front seven that seems determined to maintain its status as one of the NFL’s best. Players say the level of competition without pads has been intense, and they expect it to remain so once everyone is in full gear next month.

“That’s what I can tell about this team, I think it’s a little different right now,” offensive lineman Robert Hunt said. “The guys are working without pads on and you can tell, guys are definitely fitting their gaps right, guys are coming off the ball, flying off the ball.”

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The Dolphins hired head coach Mike McDaniel and added seven players expected to play significant roles on offense in hopes of reviving a unit that ranked 25th in the NFL last season. However, defense remains the team’s unquestioned strength. The unit led the league in defensive expected points added over the final nine weeks last season when Miami went 8-1, and the plan for the defense this offseason has been clear: run it back.

Miami agreed to a four-year, $65.4 million contract with defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah minutes before free agency began, re-signed its entire group of inside linebackers, drafted Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall in the third round and signed three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Melvin Ingram III.

Ingram didn’t practice with the team as it wrapped mandatory minicamp this month but was present on the sideline. He joins a pass-rushing rotation that includes Ogbah, who has led the team with 9.0 sacks in each of the past two seasons, linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jaelan Phillips — the No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft who set a Dolphins rookie record with 8.5 sacks last season.

“He definitely has a chance to be special,” Ingram said of Phillips. “He comes to work every day and he puts that work in. I definitely admire that.”

Last season, Miami was one of the more aggressive defenses in the NFL, blitzing on 38% of opponents’ dropbacks — the second-highest rate in the league. Its propensity for blitzing is part of the reason it played man coverage on 49.5% of its defensive snaps in 2021, the 12th highest rate in the league.

The Dolphins’ aggression up front forces quarterbacks to make quick decisions, which gives playmaking defensive backs such as cornerback Xavien Howard (15 interceptions over the past two seasons) and second-year safety Jevon Holland (13 starts, 69 tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 passes defended) opportunities to make plays on the ball.

The team believed keeping the defense intact was paramount as McDaniel deals with so much turnover on offense in his first season, and the decision was welcomed by defensive players craving stability on the sideline.

“I’m definitely happy. Just me personally, I always had different coaches,” linebacker Jerome Baker said. “Different linebacker coaches, different coordinators, going back all of the way to college. For me, [stability is] a good thing. … you know what you expect. You have a little understanding before you walk into the building. Now it’s just time to build off that.”

Also returning to Miami’s front seven are defensive linemen Christian Wilkins (first-round pick in 2019), Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis (second round, 2020), who combined to form one of the league’s most underrated interior defensive lines.

Wilkins’ 89 tackles last season tied for the league lead among defensive linemen, and Sieler posted the fourth-best pass rush win rate as an interior defender (16.0%), per NFL Next Gen Stats. Wilkins (44.0%) and Sieler (42.0%) also posted the third- and fifth-best run stop win rates among defensive linemen, respectively.

Davis’ impact is harder to quantify statistically, but at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds, he is an undeniable presence in the middle of Miami’s defensive line who occupies space and blockers. He said the unit’s chemistry has kept it from becoming complacent entering 2022.

“Just keep pushing each other,” he said. “Keep trying to dominate every opponent, just getting better as a unit and getting better this offseason.”

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins‘ offense looks completely revamped on paper, with an infusion of playmakers at the skill positions led by receivers Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson, and running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds.

Add in the hiring of offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel, and the Dolphins’ attack, which ranked 24th in offensive expected points added last season, should be improved in nearly every facet.

That might translate to more victories, but from a fantasy perspective, Miami’s best players could prove unpredictable as the team’s scheme adjusts week by week.

On ESPN platforms, Hill is being drafted as WR7 and last season’s standout rookie Jaylen Waddle is being drafted as WR13. There is reason to be excited about at least one of the Dolphins’ receivers considering what McDaniel did with versatile receiver Deebo Samuel last season as the coordinator in San Francisco.

Samuel broke out in 2021 with 1,405 receiving yards and six touchdowns, adding another 365 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. Though McDaniel lauded Waddle’s yards-after-catch ability shortly after being hired in January, it was unclear if he would ask Waddle, who had two carries last season, to fill a Samuel-type role in Miami this season.

Then the Dolphins traded for Hill (league-best 20 touchdowns of 50-plus yards since 2016) in March, and it seemed like they found their do-it-all gadget player — or at least the closest thing to it. Hill has averaged 7.7 yards and scored six rushing TDs on 93 career carries.

“There’s probably going to be some overlap to some degree,” McDaniel said. “But Deebo Samuel evolved into that role because of both circumstance and because of skill set while in San Francisco. I expect no difference, really, with Tyreek, where we are going to start with the foundational elements of the receiver position.

“I promise you we’re not going to limit — or we’re going to continue the process of developing him and the Miami Dolphins football team.”

While Hill should live up to his WR7 average draft position, what should be expected from Waddle?

The 49ers’ No. 2 receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, finished last season with 826 yards and five touchdowns on 56 catches — good for WR35 in ESPN fantasy leagues. Waddle is a better receiver than Aiyuk, however, and doesn’t have to share targets with last year’s TE4, George Kittle.

Waddle was primarily used in the short-to-intermediate part of the field as a rookie, in some ways to make up for the Dolphins’ ineffective run game that ranked 30th (92.2 yards per game). He will still be used on intermediate routes to manufacture space for him to run after the catch, but the hope with McDaniel calling plays is that Waddle will be able to do so more efficiently.

Last season, Waddle finished eighth in the NFL in receptions (104), but 25th in yards (1,015) and tied for 101st in yards per catch (9.8). One of Miami’s primary goals this season must be to maximize Waddle’s skills.

“I think it’s a different team, a different scheme,” Waddle said. “Obviously we’re going to work to what we’re good at. I think Coach McDaniel does a good job of putting players in positions to make plays. I trust that he’s going to do that throughout the year.”

Miami tight end Mike Gesicki (73 catches last season) will siphon targets from Hill and Waddle, but Samuel and Kittle finished among the top 50 flex players in ESPN fantasy leagues last season despite mediocre quarterback play from Jimmy Garoppolo, who ranked 13th in QBR (53.3), and Kittle missing three games.

But for those expecting Hill to be the next Samuel as a receiver and rusher, keep in mind that Hill has finished no worse than WR11 in all but one of his six NFL seasons. That’s the player this Dolphins staff traded for, not the second coming of Samuel.

“You don’t look at it like ‘I need the next Deebo,'” McDaniel said. “Deebo wasn’t found by looking for Deebo. You look for good football players that are committed and passionate and maybe that challenge you as a coach to see ‘Hey, what other way can we utilize this skill set?'”

MIAMI — When he entered the interview room Tuesday after voluntary organized team activities, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel resembled more of an ad for high-end athleisure than a football coach — a gray sweatshirt and matching sweatpants with yellow Yeezy sneakers providing the only color to his outfit.

As Miami enters Phase III of offseason workouts, McDaniel has grown popular on social media for his fashion sense and among his players for his ability to connect with them. He was hired in February as an offensive guru, but his acumen appears to extend beyond X’s and O’s.

“He’s a players’ coach,” said receiver River Cracraft, who played last season for the San Francisco 49ers, where McDaniel was the offensive coordinator. “He gets along with players and he acts like he’s one of us in the sense that you can talk to him. He’s never going to big-time you or push you aside. … That’s what he’s doing with everybody here and that’s why I love playing for Mike, because you know what you’re going to get from him, just his honesty.”

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The Dolphins began their offseason workout regimen in the first week of April, with McDaniel and his staff laying the foundation for their offensive system.

Miami made it a priority to add playmakers this offseason, trading for receiver Tyreek Hill (league-best 20 touchdowns of 50-plus yards since 2016). The Dolphins also signed receiver Cedrick Wilson, who showed big-play ability with Dallas last season, and running backs Chase Edmonds (runs of 54 and 40 yards in 2021) and Raheem Mostert (top speed of 22.73 mph on a 2020 play was the fastest by a ball carrier in three seasons, according to NFL Next Gen stats).

The Dolphins also signed offensive linemen Terron Armstead and Connor Williams as they switch to an attack that is expected to feature a lot of zone blocking, stretch running plays and creativity.

Now that the team has moved on from classroom and film study and drill work, it can begin to create a foundation to build on once training camp begins in July, McDaniel said.

“Realistically you want guys committed to getting better and you want to really establish how you’re going to go about business,” he said. “We had two voluntary minicamps and … our second OTA, and what was important to me was you don’t skip steps in this business. So if we want to make strides and progress as an organization and as a football team, we have to position ourselves so that when we come back for training camp, we’re able to practice and operate at a high-caliber level that fits our goals.”

Miami missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season in 2021, finishing with a 9-8 record. Coach Brian Flores was fired the day after the season ended on Jan. 10, with owner Stephen Ross citing communication issues as one of the deciding factors. McDaniel, who comes from an innovative coaching tree that has produced head coaches Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Sean McVay (Rams) and Matt LaFleur (Packers), was hired to fix an offense that ranked 25th in the NFL last season and to galvanize the locker room.

So far, his players have raved about his work in both areas. McDaniel has kept things light but focused at practice, holding a putting contest during conditioning drills this offseason and implementing a “practice player of the day” award, with perks that include donning an orange jersey and having full control over the next practice’s music playlist.

“He’s doing a great job of just bringing us all together,” cornerback Nik Needham said. “In team meetings he’ll say some jokes or just funny stuff, show stuff on film … I think all that stuff is building the camaraderie on the team.”

Of course, camaraderie can only take a team so far without a proper system in place.

There won’t be tangible evidence of the effectiveness of McDaniel’s schemes until the preseason begins, but the offensive players are excited about the revamped approach.

“I mean it’s a completely different offense, as you guys can probably tell from watching San Fran’s film,” second-year offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg said. “It’s just different. New coaches, new style, new scheme. [I’m] trying to improve every day, trying to learn the offense the best that I can.”

Said Needham: “We all feel the energy in here, and it just feels like a different vibe this year for sure. You never know what happens, but we just want to keep it going. I love what he’s doing here for sure.”

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins‘ 2022 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.

The 2022 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Buffalo Bills vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ESPN opens its schedule with Monday Night Football on Sept. 12 featuring the Denver Broncos at the Seattle Seahawks.

The NFL expanded to 17 regular-season games last season. The final regular-season games for the 2022 season will be played Jan. 8, 2023. The playoffs begin Jan. 14 and continue through Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Here’s what’s in store for the Dolphins:

Schedule

Sept. 11: vs. New England

Sept. 18: at Baltimore

Sept. 25: vs. Buffalo

Sept. 29: at Cincinnati (TNF)

Oct. 9: at N.Y. Jets

Oct. 16: vs. Minnesota

Oct. 23: vs. Pittsburgh (SNF)

Oct. 30: at Detroit

Nov. 6: at Chicago

Nov. 13: vs. Cleveland

Nov. 20: Bye

Nov. 27: vs. Houston

Dec. 4: at San Francisco

Dec. 11: at L.A. Chargers

Dec. 17/18: at Buffalo

Dec. 25: vs. Green Bay

Jan. 1: at New England

Jan. 7/8: vs. N.Y. Jets

Strength of schedule: 21st, .481

Biggest takeaway

The nation will get a good look at the Dolphins. They get two prime-time games and a showdown on Christmas Day with the Green Bay Packers.

It’s also a brutal stretch to start the season with the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers all on the schedule in the first seven weeks.

Revenge game

Week 3 against the Bills. The Dolphins were swept in embarrassing fashion by Buffalo last season, and this Sept. 25 matchup is their first shot at beating the reigning AFC East champion in what should be a measuring stick for coach Mike McDaniel’s team.

What the oddsmakers think

They have the Dolphins’ win total at 8.5. On paper, there are seven games that Miami should win if it considers itself a playoff contender — if it takes care of business in those games and pulls out a couple of swing games, Miami should clear 8.5.

Bold prediction

The Dolphins will start the season 8-2. That stretch to start the season will be difficult, but it’s also littered with winnable games. If McDaniel’s system works and Miami clicks early, it can start the season on a scorching hot note.

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins had four picks in this year’s NFL draft, including just one in the first three rounds. But in the third round (102nd overall), they grabbed a player who is an ideal fit for their defensive scheme.

Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall flew somewhat under the radar playing on a defense that included linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. In fact, he was the ninth of the Bulldogs’ record 15 players selected this past weekend.

Despite the star power around him, the Dolphins never lost sight of Tindall throughout the pre-draft process.

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“He was a player that we had been targeting throughout the process,” general manager Chris Grier said. “We met with him in Indianapolis [at the NFL combine] and really enjoyed our time with him. We brought him down here on a [top] 30 visit, spent a lot of time with him here as well. For us, it’s the versatility, the speed is what we like. He can play, he has the ability to play all three downs and play special teams, as well.

“In talking to [Georgia coach] Kirby Smart the other day again about him, he was just talking about what tremendous speed and toughness and the character of the kid and how Kirby really loved [Tindall] and thinks he’s going to be a really good player in the NFL.”

After playing sparingly in his first three seasons with the Bulldogs, Tindall turned in his best collegiate season as a senior in 2021, posting 67 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.

He called his uptick in production the result of extra time spent with Georgia linebackers coach Glenn Schumann, and a renewed mentality entering the season.

“I just took extra time and watched film with him. I feel like I knew what I had to do,” Tindall said. “I was on a mission before the season started … like I have to get this done. I would say the biggest thing is probably just my mindset. My mindset was do or die.”

How Tindall was used last season helps in deciphering what his role with the Dolphins will be, particularly as a rookie. Grier said Georgia took advantage of Tindall’s 4.47 speed in the 40-yard dash, using him as a pass-rusher, quarterback spy and in coverage.

Miami blitzed on 38% of its opponents’ dropbacks last season, the second-highest rate in the NFL. That type of aggression is why Tindall feels his skill set perfectly suits his new team.

“The way they use their linebackers is different,” he said. “They use their linebackers everywhere. They put them on the edge sometimes, they put them on the line, they put them at Mike, Will. They are very versatile and I feel like I fit into it.”

As enticing as his skill set is, Tindall’s shortest path to early playing time will come on special teams, where Grier said he expects him to contribute. He will compete with Elandon Roberts, Duke Riley and Brennan Scarlett for defensive reps at inside linebacker, but his ability to cover sideline to sideline sets him apart. He is likely to be worked into the Dolphins’ rotation as soon as he grasps the scheme.

Miami also added an outside linebacker in the seventh round, Cameron Goode, who has an uphill battle to crack the initial 53-man roster but could sneak into the team’s pass-rush rotation with a strong summer camp.

With only four picks to work with and an unwillingness to part with any of its five picks in the first three rounds of next year’s draft, the Dolphins had to take what they could get, whichever way the board fell.

They left their facility Saturday thrilled with the way it did.

“You want to feel good about the players that you add,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “The bottom line is that we need some Miami Dolphins that our locker room can embrace and that can make the players that we have better and make the team better.

“That’s what we did and we feel great about that.”

MIAMI — The 2022 NFL draft is being held through Saturday and every Miami Dolphins draft pick will be analyzed here.

The draft will be held in Las Vegas on the strip in the area adjacent to Caesars Forum two years after it was initially scheduled. The 2020 NFL draft was turned into a virtual event because of COVID-19.

Here’s a pick-by-pick look at how each player Miami has selected will fit.

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Round 3, No. 102 overall: Channing Tindall, ILB, Georgia

My take: The Dolphins brought their entire corps of inside linebackers back this offseason, but it’s still a thin group overall that could use a sideline-to-sideline defender. Enter: Tindall. The former Bulldog is one of the fastest linebackers in this draft and should contribute quickly. Especially in a division that features one of the most dynamic players in the NFL in Bills QB Josh Allen, it was critical for the Dolphins to add as much speed as possible to the middle of their defense.

What’s next: The wait for the Dolphins’ second pick of this year’s draft won’t take as long as the first — they pick again at No. 125 overall. From there, they only have two remaining picks, both in the seventh round (Nos. 224 and 227). Miami doesn’t have any glaring needs, but could stand to add depth to its interior offensive and defensive lines. But considering the state of its roster, Miami is in a position to take the best player available.

MIAMI — While most NFL teams will spend Thursday night figuring out which elite prospect they want to take a chance on in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft in Las Vegas (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN app), the Miami Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier will probably be watching highlights of receiver Tyreek Hill somewhere inside the Baptist Health Traning Complex.

At least, that’s what Grier laughingly said he’d be doing after trading Miami’s picks in the first round, second round, and fourth round for Hill back in March. The Dolphins now have the least draft capital in the league with just four picks: No. 102 (third round), No. 125 (fourth), No. 224 (seventh) and No. 247 (seventh).

Despite owning so few selections, Grier said he and his staff haven’t altered anything about their preparation.

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“You never know when opportunities arise to do something,” he said. “If you haven’t done your work just because you don’t pick until 102, it could end up hurting you when you don’t have all the information if those opportunities arise. So for us, we had guys who were out at all pro days. Coaches were out. Coaches were doing private workouts.

“So for us, it’s been full steam ahead. The personnel staff has done a tremendous job and the coaching staff — Mike (McDaniel) and the coaching staff — these guys enjoyed getting out and getting to meet players, bringing them in, so the private workout stuff has been exciting.”

Miami has completely revamped its offense this offseason, adding Hill and tackle Terron Armstead to address its two biggest holes. The Dolphins also added receiver Cedrick Wilson, offensive lineman Connor Williams, and running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds to further supplement the system McDaniel wants to run in his first year.

After strengthening their roster with some big additions this offseason, they are in the enviable position of being able to take the best player available this weekend. Still, the Dolphins have areas in which they can improve — namely inside linebacker and interior offensive line.

ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid said the decision to trade their first two picks for Hill was a no-brainer — especially since there should be opportunities to address those remaining needs on Day 3 of the draft (Rounds 4-7).

“I [would] look to target a center [at No. 102],” Reid said. “I think just getting some competition [for] Michael Deiter … would be really, really wise for them. Because I’m not sure if Deiter is going to be the athlete that they need at that center spot.”

Reid specifically listed Dylan Parham from Memphis and Cole Strange from Chattanooga as potential options for the Dolphins at No. 102.

Parham is a converted tight end who started all four years for Memphis at tackle and guard and fits McDaniel’s zone-blocking scheme.

“He’s one that fits really, really well as far as what they want to do from a zone scheme or wide-zone scheme perspective,” Reid said. “He’s a really athletic type … also very powerful, too.”

Strange is projected as more of a fourth-round pick, although he wouldn’t be a stretch at No. 102, Reid said. He’s a guard who is a projected center in the NFL and caught Reid’s attention at the Senior Bowl this year.

Regardless, it’s likely Miami goes offensive line with at least one of its four picks considering how Grier feels about this year’s class.

“I think there’s some talent all the way through from the tackles, the guards, centers, all the way in through the [middle] rounds,” he said. “I think you can find some good, quality players. Everyone is always looking for the pass-rushers. I think there are some high-level rushers in this draft, and then at the end of the day, then it’ll be some projection. Guys that have some upside to work with.

“So I would say … offensive line to me, I think is the one really strong position in this draft.”

Reid mentioned linebackers Brandon Smith (Penn State) and Brian Asamoah (Oklahoma) as potential options in the fourth round.

Smith has great size (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) and ability but needs to improve his processing skills. It’s what Reid said is keeping him from being picked in the first or second round.

Asamoah is a strong tackler and athlete who Reid called a “wrecking ball” but is somewhat undersized (6-0, 226 pounds) for the position.

Beyond those positions of need, Reid said he would not be surprised if the Dolphins add a physical running back to complement their group of speedsters, such as Georgia’s Zamir White or Alabama’s Brian Robinson Jr.

MIAMI — You assume every team in the NFL wants to win. Some do a better job of showing it than others.

The Miami Dolphins have spared no expense in building a contender this offseason. Their biggest additions have come on offense with the signing of left tackle Terron Armstead and a trade for receiver Tyreek Hill. However, they didn’t forget their defense.

Their latest move was a five-year, re-worked contract with cornerback Xavien Howard that gives the three-time Pro Bowler $50 million in new money even though he had three years and $39 million remaining on a contract he signed in 2019.

Howard felt he outplayed his contract, especially after Miami gave cornerback Byron Jones a five-year, $82 million deal in 2020. Howard publicly requested a trade prior to the 2021 season, and the team put a bandage on the issue by slightly restructuring his contract and promising to renegotiate after the season.

By making good on their promise, the Dolphins seemed to send a message to their locker room that the days of squabbling with their best players are over.

“Just to bring everybody back, especially on defense, is so exciting,” Howard said. “My boy [Emmanuel] Ogbah, I was happy he’s back. We can make some plays out there together. It’s exciting to have the defense back, especially going into our third year in the same defensive scheme.”

Miami began the reunion tour with its defense by retaining coordinator Josh Boyer and several other members of last year’s defensive staff, then re-signed Ogbah, their top defensive end, to a four-year, $65 million contract just minutes before legal tampering began on March 14. The sides had negotiated throughout the season but were unable to agree to a contract prior to the offseason.

Speaking at the NFL combine, however, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel publicly made it known that he wanted Ogbah back. He got his wish 12 days later.

Since then, Miami has made it clear it feels its defense from last season was worth building on. It re-signed its entire inside linebacker room and defensive tackle John Jenkins. When the team began its offseason workout program April 4, players described a new atmosphere in the locker room despite many of the same faces.

“It’s just different. You can tell,” Ogbah said. “A lot of guys are happy to be back. Everybody is just happy to see each other again. It’s only been like two months, but it felt like forever. We’re just glad to be back working again.

“Coach McDaniel brings a different type of energy into the program, so we’re excited about that, too.”

The 2021 season was a tale of two halves for the Dolphins — they were statistically one of the worst defenses in the league during the first eight weeks, which featured a seven-game losing streak.

However, the defense fueled Miami’s seven-game winning streak that began in Week 9. During the streak it led the NFL with a 40% pressure rate, allowed a league-low 257 yards per game, held opponents to a league-low 28.6% third-down conversion rate and held six opponents under 200 total yards. The Dolphins finished the season tied for second in the NFL with 48.0 sacks and tied for eighth with 26 takeaways.

They are banking on the second half of last season being more representative of the team’s true defensive identity.

“We should be as good as we want to be,” Ogbah said. “We’ve got a lot of guys coming back, a lot of guys in key spots. We’ve just got to take that one step and get better.”

The return of all 11 starters from a season ago brings high expectations, but winning the AFC East won’t be easy. Miami is 1-7 in its past eight meetings against the Buffalo Bills, who have won two consecutive AFC East titles and are the favorites again in 2022 after improving this offseason.

But the Dolphins, coming off consecutive winning seasons, have committed more than $186 million in guaranteed money to Armstead, Hill, Howard and Ogbah alone this offseason, and Howard knows what is now demanded of this team.

“To win,” he said bluntly.

“We’ve got to finish off what we started on the defensive side. We’ve been making plays and getting stuff done for the team. We’ve got to continue doing that, add more pieces to it and hopefully cause more trouble out there on defense.”