The Miami Dolphins roster has a large number of question marks heading into the 2026 season.
After back-to-back disappointing seasons that saw the team miss the postseason, the Dolphins decided to make major changes. Among those changes was acquiring a new coaching staff and front office, led by former members of the Green Bay Packers organization.
The team brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager and Jeff Hafley as their new head coach. With them at the helm, Miami is hoping to build a team capable of long-term winning, by having a roster that is primarily filled with young talent under cheap contracts.
However, prior to Miami kicking off their 2026 training camp, the team announced they had cut ties with one of their rookies.
Miami Dolphins Cut Ties With Undrafted Rookie
The Miami Dolphins announced they signed former Oakland Raiders first-round pick Clelin Ferrell. Alongside that move, Miami also waived rookie undrafted defensive lineman Kahlil Saunders.
Regarding Saunders, Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala wrote:
“Saunders, 23, was a three-star recruit out of high school and spent five years at Kentucky from 2021-25. The 6-foot-3, 287-pound defensive lineman recorded an impressive 8.57 RAS score at the combine, which probably led Miami to sign him as an undrafted free agent.”
After being signed by the Dolphins earlier this offseason, Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart wrote of Saunders: “Saunders spent five seasons at Kentucky, making him a rarity in this day and age of the transfer portal. He appeared in 51 career games with 12 starts in five seasons with the Wildcats, recording 77 tackles (36 solo), 4.5 sacks, 12.0 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries.”
Miami Dolphins Defensive Line
Unfortunately for Saunders, he had a difficult path to making the Dolphins’ 53-man roster. Defensive tackle is one of the rare positions where Miami does appear to have talent there. Despite last season’s first-round selection Kenneth Grant disappointing in his rookie season, Miami did get strong contributions at the position by rookies Zeek Biggers and Jordan Phillips. Additionally, the Dolphins still have Zach Sieler, who has totaled over 25 sacks across the last three seasons, at the interior of the defensive line.
Regarding if Miami has enough at the interior of the defensive line, Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart wrote:
“It might be the defensive line and linebacker are the two spots where there’s no clear need for an upgrade. Of course, that’s dependent on the three 2025 draft picks — Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers — taking that next step from the start of the season. A good sign there is that Biggers and Grant look slimmer than last year, while Phillips should be a rock-solid run stopper for years to come.”
Saunders was the team’s lone rookie to be added at the position, but after this latest move, it appears Miami is set at the interior defensive line. Instead, Miami prioritized adding a veteran who could provide meaningful snaps at the edge position, which appears to be more of a need for the Dolphins heading into 2026.
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