The Miami Dolphins are a team that doesn’t currently command a lot of respect in the lexicon of NFL franchises. The team has been downtrodden for too long and the name has inevitably become tied to mediocrity and pedestrian play. Coach Brian Flores is hoping to change that — and in doing so flipping the script and changing the narrative about the organization. But even within the Dolphins’ organization, there are players who play at a higher rate than their reputations might suggest.
Who are the most underrated Miami Dolphins of 2020? We came up with three:
LB Raekwon McMillan
Don’t let the Dolphins’ heavy activity at linebacker fool you — McMillan is very good at what he does. What does he do? He serves as a force against the run and a standout defender between the tackles, where his quick processor and heavy pads can shine. He’s not a player to be tested in coverage, which is a lesson former coach Adam Gase learned the hard way by refusing to sub out McMillan in passing matchups.
The end result was a negative connotation towards McMillan and his play. McMillan gave up 32 completions on 39 targets (and 6 touchdowns) in 2018 under Gase — fast forward to 2019 under Flores and McMillan was only targeted 12 times in coverage (he still gave up 10 completions but no scores).
It’s a byproduct of Flores being more deliberate with McMillan’s reps (he only played 515 snaps for Flores versus 831 for Gase). But good coaches use their players in roles that allow them to be successful. Flores did that for McMillan in 2019 and the strong play against the run was allowed to shine.
SAF Eric Rowe
Rowe came to Miami entering his third team in five years as a pro athlete. And while the former 2nd-round pick was certainly a bust for the Eagles in 2015, no one should be calling Rowe a bust anymore.
Durability was an issue and Rowe played in just 21 games over three years in New England but was able to play a full 16 game schedule for the Dolphins in 2019. By transitioning to safety, Rowe’s size and athleticism was able to shine in a role playing coverage against tight ends — and he logged his first career defensive touchdown, tied a career high with eight passes defensed and logged 81 total tackles with a 6.9% missed tackle rate.
Targeted 71 times in coverage, Rowe allowed a sub-60% completion percentage, 6.5 yards per target and a quarterback passer rating of 81.0 in throws into his area.
Miami may have an unsettled situation at free safety but, provided Rowe stays healthy, he’s the answer at the other position.
WR DeVante Parker
Parker isn’t underrated to Miami Dolphins fans, but he’s surely underrated to the rest of the league. Perhaps those who had him on their fantasy football squad can appreciate what Parker did last season, but otherwise he’s not getting the respect he deserves for his play in 2019. With 72 receptions, 1202 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns in 2019, Parker somehow did not make the Pro Bowl last year.
That alone is an egregious omission and warrants a spot on this list of underrated Dolphins. Parker posted 802 yards over the team’s final eight games of 2019 — that despite a concussion early in the Dolphins’ Week 14 loss to the New York Jets that ended his day after the first quarter and just 28 yards receiving.
No wide receiver in the AFC had more receiving yards or more receiving touchdowns in 2019 than DeVante Parker. But yet he still didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
Figure that one out.