MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins are entering a new era under head coach Jeff Hafley, and with a roster featuring several young players looking to establish themselves, training camp has become an important opportunity to build the foundation of the team’s future.

Leer en español

After Sunday’s practice at the Baptist Health Training Complex, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, cornerback Chris Johnson, guard Jonah Savaiinaea and running back Ollie Gordon II discussed their growth, preparation and the excitement surrounding the first padded practice of camp.

Rodriguez, a second-round pick out of Texas Tech, has already stood out with his “violent” style of play and ability to find the football, traits Hafley praised early in training camp.

During Sunday’s practice, Rodriguez was active around the ball, making several would-be stops in the run game. Despite the team practicing without pads, running back Ollie Gordon II even described the rookie linebacker as a “magnet” to the football.

Rodriguez, who was known in college for punching the football out of opposing players’ hands, said creating turnovers comes down to being aggressive while knowing when to take the right shot.

“The worry is there, but you gotta do it. You gotta take a chance to hit,” Rodriguez said. “And I think you see what you punch, it’s like a boxer, you know, like if you see the ball, you punch it. If you’re just kind of throwing a blind punch, then that’s when it kind of gets risky like you could actually hit a face mask and actually break a knuckle or something, but you know if you’re seeing what you’re punching.”

Rodriguez said teammates have asked him about his ability to force fumbles, but his goal is to help the entire defense create more takeaways.

“I mean, some guys come like jokingly, and then we’ll kind of get into a conversation about it, but like I’m all about shooting everybody trying to go and take the ball away,” Rodriguez said. “If we can take 3 more a game, and that kind of stat that would help us win, it’d be unbelievable. So anything I could do to help everybody kind of take the ball away, not that I’m perfect at it or have it figured out, but, you know, I’ve just been fortunate enough to get a few.”

Rodriguez said he was able to meet former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman, who popularized the “Peanut Punch,” and learn more about the technique used to force the ball out of opponents’ hands.

Rodriguez’s path to the NFL has also helped shape his mindset. He told reporters the first thing he bought after receiving his first NFL paycheck was a bed.

While he was a walk-on at Texas Tech, Rodriguez said he initially slept on his brother’s floor, making the simple purchase a meaningful reminder of how far he has come.

Rodriguez will get his first taste of padded football Monday, something he said will help the team continue developing.

“I’m very excited for that,” Rodriguez said. “I think what we’ve been doing so far has been great. It’s helping us a lot with technique and where to use our hands and how to do a lot of the ins and outs and stuff, but, you know, football is played, like I said, physically, and when football pads come on and shoulder pads and everything else with it, you start to get to play real football.”

Gordon, who is entering his second NFL season, said he is also looking forward to putting the pads back on and getting back to the physical side of football.

“We all get to get in pads, we’d have some click clack and then, you know, it’s one of those days,” Gordon said.

The second-year running back said the biggest difference entering this season is having the ability to focus on football without the pressure of the draft process and learning everything for the first time.

“Last year I felt like I gotta learn this, you know, you gotta train, you gotta do that,” he said. “But I feel like this year is more like, OK, I can ease into it. I know my study habit, learn how to take care of my body also now, so I feel like just those things make it easier.”

Cornerback Chris Johnson, the Dolphins’ first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, also made his presence felt Sunday when he intercepted quarterback Quinn Ewers during team drills.

Johnson, who has been working at both outside corner and in the slot, said the versatility has helped him understand how all parts of the defense work together.

“Yeah, it definitely helps, just being able to take certain things away from the field,” Johnson said. “If they can mess up timing out there, then I know that it’s a lot more traffic out there for the slot receiver to get to.”

Johnson said his interception, which was thrown by quarterback Quinn Ewers, came down to trusting his assignment and making a play when the opportunity presented itself.

“Yeah, really just playing my coverage, man,” Johnson said. “Started off in a bunch, motion to just a stack, so I get the calls from the safety. Obviously, we’re all on the same page, you know what we’re doing, so, you know, I cover the ground I’m supposed to cover and just make a play.”

Offense guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who moved to right guard this offseason and switched to No. 71, said the position change has helped him feel more comfortable entering his second NFL season.

“I mean, the biggest thing is, you know, going into year two, I feel like that plays a big factor. I’ve been confident out there,” he said. “I mean, I’ve been watching myself and I was like, damn, you know, I, I didn’t have this, this time last year.”

Hafley called Savaiinaea a “pleasant surprise” before Sunday’s practice.

With the Dolphins bringing in 13 rookies from the 2026 draft class, the largest draft class since the NFL adopted a seven-round format in 1994, several young players will have opportunities to earn roles throughout training camp.

The Dolphins will hold their first padded practice of camp Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Baptist Health Training Complex.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.