The Miami Dolphins’ undrafted free agent haul of 2019 provided the team with significant contributions — a credit to the team’s scouting department and front office but also an indictment of the readily available talent on the team’s roster come the start of the season. It required a number of separate variables to allow some of Miami’s UDFAs to crack the starting lineup, and getting into the rotation in 2020 should prove to be a tougher test.
So which of Miami’s three prominent UDFA contributors from 2019 is most likely to take the biggest share of snaps in 2020?
Preston Williams, Wide Receiver
2019 snaps: 450
Williams will have a starting wide receiver role waiting for him in 2020 — once, of course, he’s healed from the 2019 ACL tear that ended his season at the halfway point. Williams’ recovery will be a big story to watch, as the Dolphins did not address their wide receiver group with any other additions this offseason. Could Williams be ready to rumble by Week 1? Or will he start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and miss action as he continues his rehab?
Nik Needham, Cornerback
2019 snaps: 780
Needham steadily built upon his performance each week and by the end of the year was a scrappy, competitive cornerback who was playing as well as any corner on the roster. But then the team signed Byron Jones, drafted Noah Igbinoghene in the 1st-round and got Xavien Howard back from injury this offseason. That spells a looming set of challenges for Needham to play such a high workload again in 2020.
Shaq Calhoun, Offensive Guard
2019 snaps: 505
Calhoun started almost out of necessity for the Dolphins early on, logging 7 starts for the team. But Calhoun’s play was a tough watch and Miami apparently didn’t see a lot to get excited about — the team added nearly two new interior offensive lines to the roster this offseason between free agents Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras, 2020 UDFA Donell Stanley and the drafting of Solomon Kindley and Robert Hunt, who may also play tackle.
Final Verdict
If we had to guess, Shaq Calhoun does not make the Dolphins’ active roster in 2020. And while it a bit risky to bet on the recovery of a knee injury from late October of last year, we ultimately think Preston Williams will command the most prominent role for the Dolphins this season. As a result, we’re banking on him taking more snaps this season than Needham, who is the team’s 4th best option (in a best case scenario that ignores safeties Eric Rowe and Bobby McCain) at cornerback.