Miami Dolphins depth chart release: What jumps out
MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel says preseason depth charts are his "nemesis."
And so while it's true that we can take the one Miami released on Tuesday with a grain of salt, there is something to be said for assessing who may be where and why.
"It’s very malleable," McDaniel said.
That said, here are some things that jumped out:
WR Cedrick Wilson 2nd team, WR Braxton Berrios 3rd team
What we think: Wilson has been better in this camp that last year. But it's hard to believe he's behind Berrios. The Dolphins' openness to trading Wilson could reasonably be considered a factor here.
LG Liam Eichenberg, RT Austin Jackson 1st team
What we think: Eichenberg is no lock to hold off second-teamer Isaiah Wynn or Robert Jones, with Lester Cotton and Kion Smith providing depth. Jackson is well-positioned to hold off second-teamer Cedric Ogbuehi and Kendall Lamm. Jackson is working hard to improve.
Dolphins' Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson progressing on bumpy roads
RB De'Von Achane 3rd team
What we think: There's no way the dynamic Achane is behind Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin, so we'll chalk this one up to Achane's rookie status. He's at worst Miami's third back at the start of this season.
QB Mike White 2nd team, QB Skylar Thompson 3rd team
What we think: White is here by virtue of his experience and contract. Neither he nor Thompson has been lights out. Thompson started off stronger and White has come on a bit of late.
WR River Cracraft 2nd team, WR Robbie Chosen 3rd team
What we think: Chosen slowed after a good start and has flashed at times of late. Cracraft probably make the team for his special teams abilities. And Chosen is ahead of Erik Ezukanma on the depth chart, but that's a tight battle.
DE Emmanuel Ogbah 2nd team
What we think: It's a testament to the depth of Miami's front seven that a player with a $17 million cap charge this year is not even a starter. Ogbah needs to regain some of his 2021 form or his playing time could be curtailed.
CB Cam Smith 4th team
What we think: Yeah, OK, sure. Smith may very well be a starter opposite Xavien Howard against Justin Herbert and the Chargers for Week 1. There's no way he's behind Noah Igbinoghene and Justin Bethel and injured Nik Needham. This is a rookie status deal and if it helps motivate Smith, all the better.
CB Eli Apple 5th team
What we think: Apple has a steep hill to climb to be a starter. He was signed for depth purposes and because of his experience, he'll always be a decent option to start in a pinch.
S Brandon Jones 1st team
What we think: Jones is coming back from an ACL injury and hasn't practiced as much as DeShon Elliott, listed as his backup. Even Jones said he was surprised and that it's an ongoing competition.
Dolphins safety Brandon Jones "still not as fast and explosive as I want to be."
Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at.jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins depth chart released, 2023 position battles take shape
