Miami Dolphins 2026 Team Rankings and Ratings

75.1PFM Team Score

PFM Verdict

Why PFM Ranks the Dolphins Here

De’Von Achane gives Miami a weapon who can change the pace of a game, and Malik Willis adds movement at quarterback. The Dolphins rank No. 24 because both lines and the receiving order are being rebuilt around that new offense. Jeff Hafley has enough speed to work with, but the weekly floor will remain unstable until the protection and target hierarchy settle.

NFL Rank#24Current PFM ranking

AFC Rank#12Among AFC teams

QB Stability#20Malik Willis · Prove-It Zone

Season OutlookNeeds More Help

Head coachJeff Hafley

Offensive coordinatorBobby Slowik

Defensive coordinatorSean Duggan

Offense78.4No. 22

Defense72.4No. 30

Coaching Direction72.5No. 29

Regular-Season Baseline

PFM Trend

Baseline September 8, 2026

Current stateBaseline set

Miami starts the regular season with a 75.1 PFM Team Score and the No. 24 spot in PFM’s NFL rankings. Movement will appear after the first published weekly ratings update.

PFM Team Score75.1

Score movementStarts here

NFL RankNo. 24

Rank movementStarts here

See Latest NFL Ranking Changes

PFM Team DNA

Miami Dolphins Team DNA

View all NFL team rankings

PFM category scores · 0–100 scale

QB Stability78.9No. 20 in NFLWatch

Offense78.4No. 22 in NFLWatch

Explosiveness70.1No. 26 in NFLMajor Concern

Roster Strength78.9No. 16 in NFLWatch

Franchise Direction72.8No. 27 in NFLMajor Concern

Coaching Direction72.5No. 29 in NFLMajor Concern

Defense72.4No. 30 in NFLMajor Concern

Identity

Core Talent

Miami uses De'Von Achane and Malik Willis' movement to stretch the defense horizontally before attacking the open lane. The front is asked to create pressure without giving away explosive passes behind it.

Pressure Point

Miami's Young Rush Has to Finish

Chop Robinson and the young pass rush have to turn the defense’s best snaps into finished drives and punts.

Week 1 matchup

AwayMIA0-0

HomeLV0-0

Pick the winner.

PFM ROAD AHEAD

2026 Miami Dolphins Strength of Schedule

Miami owns one of the tougher schedules in the league because Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots form the hardest part of it. PFM has the schedule No. 4 with an opponent average of 81.9 and 9 games against current top-10 teams. The road is not difficult from start to finish, but the stretch around Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots leaves little room for an off week.

Difficulty Rank#4No. 1 is toughest

Opponent PFM Avg.81.9Average across opponents

Next 3 Avg.82.4Upcoming opponents

Top-10 Matchups9Games vs. current top 10

Away games left9

Top-10 road opponents4

Week 1

at Las Vegas Raiders72.7 PFM · #28

Sep 13 · 4:25 pm

AwayBottom 10

Week 2

at San Francisco 49ers86.6 PFM · #4

Sep 20 · 4:25 pm

AwayTop 10

Week 3

vs. Kansas City Chiefs87.8 PFM · #3

Sep 27 · 1:00 pm

HomeTop 10

Toughest remaining opponent: Kansas City Chiefs at 87.8 PFM.

See all 32 NFL strength of schedule rankings View Miami Dolphins’ full schedule breakdown

PFM ReporterReportedAugust 30, 2026

Dolphins Add Kyle McCord as Malik Willis' Backup

Miami followed Saturday's Quinn Ewers trade by acquiring Kyle McCord from Green Bay for the same 2028 sixth-round pick.

McCord immediately becomes Malik Willis' backup, so the Dolphins have replaced the experienced quarterback depth they moved a day earlier rather than leaving the room to Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski. This is a meaningful change from the previous Score Watch state. PFM will review QB Stability and Roster Strength, although it will likely not change the QB Stability rating.

By Justin Fuhr

Sources: Dolphins acquire QB Kyle McCord in trade with Packers

Around the League

League Context

Closest Team DNA Match

Built Like Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis ColtsMatch distance: 2.48 rating points

Shared profile: Offense and Coaching Direction.

Miami gets early-down control through the offensive line, while Indianapolis gets early-down control from the offensive line. The closest football connection comes from two important parts of the roster, with each team reaching it through its own personnel. Miami owns the roster edge because more positions have a dependable second answer behind the headline players.

Where they separate: Roster Strength. Dolphins hold the stronger current rating.

View Colts dashboard Compare the teams

Division Pressure