The Miami Dolphins have a tough season ahead of them, as they have one of the thinnest rosters in the league and will take on the second-hardest schedule of all 32 teams this year, based on 2025 records.
While Miami is projected to win somewhere between 3-5 games this year, depending on who you ask, there's still a chance for the team to surprise some people throughout Jeff Hafley's first season as head coach.
If the Dolphins want to find any success in 2026, these are four players that they can't afford to go down with injuries.
RB De'Von Achane
Achane, Miami's third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been phenomenal in his three seasons with the Dolphins, rushing for 3,057 yards and 22 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per attempt while catching 172 passes for an additional
1,277 yards and 13 scores.
Heading into 2026, the 24-year-old will likely be the focal point of the offense, and after watching Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II in the preseason, there's not much hope for the ground game if Achane is out.
QB Malik Willis
Willis joined the Dolphins on a three-year, $67.5 million deal to replace Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback this season. While he had mixed results in his first two stops in the NFL, he plays the most important position in professional sports, which is why Miami can't afford for him to not be out there.
RT Austin Jackson
There were a few players to pick from along the offensive line, but we saw how rough the backup tackles were throughout training camp, joint practices and the preseason. Jackson has dealt with injuries with some regularity since the Dolphins took him in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He's only played more than eight games in three of the six seasons.
CB Chris Johnson
Despite being a rookie, Johnson steps into Miami's secondary as their top cornerback for 2026. After earning All-Mountain West and All-American honors at San Diego State last year and becoming the Dolphins' first-round pick, he'll have to line up across for the best wide receivers that the league has to offer.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 4 players the Dolphins can't afford to lose to injury this season
