The Miami Dolphins started their preseason with a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons despite a long list of players who were not used.
According to the official playbook, 40 players on the Dolphins’ roster did not play a single snap on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium. That included some obvious players like Odell Beckham Jr., Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, all of whom are on the PUP list, but also many healthy starters like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
That made the preseason opener an opportunity for players who were low on the rankings to show that they were worthy not only of a spot on the 53-man roster, but of a significant role in the regular season. Some took advantage of that opportunity, but others struggled against the Falcons.
Here’s what Pro Football Focus thought about the Dolphins players’ performance on Friday night:
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5 top marks in the offensive
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
- RB Jaylen Wright: 69.4
- OL Jack Driscoll: 69.2
- OL Patrick Paul: 64.7
- TE Tanner Conner: 64.3
- OL Sean Harlow: 64.1
The 5 worst grades in the offensive
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
- QB Mike White: 30.7
- WR Braylon Sanders: 35.4
- WR Je’Quan Burton: 43.3
- QB Skylar Thompson: 45.2
- WR Willie Snead IV: 45.3
5 top marks in defense
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
- DB Siran Neal: 91.7
- DB Jason Maitre: 82.3
- Defensive player Jonathan Harris: 80.1
- LB Curtis Bolton: 77.1
- DL Brandon Pili: 75.6
The 5 worst grades in defense
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
- DL Leonard Payne Jr.: 41.8
- LB Duke Riley: 48.2
- DL Da’Shawn Hand: 49.7
- OLB Zeke Vandenburgh: 51.3
- LB Cam Brown: 51.4
Other celebrities
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
- DB Nik Needham: 75.5
- OLB Grayson Murphy: 73.9
- DB Patrick McMorris: 73.2
- DB Ethan Bonner: 67.6
- WR Malik Washington: 59.8
