Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins Instant Observations: Jaylen Wright, Patrick Paul Shine

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins‘ first preseason game of 2024 — a home affair with the Atlanta Falcons — went precisely how you’d expect: Some flashes of encouraging play but plenty of ugly moments, too.

Miami Dolphins Rookies Impress in Debut

How good of a night was it for Chris Grier’s rookie class? Chop Robinson didn’t even suit up and Dolphins draft picks still were four of the game’s top 10 or 12 players.

Certainly, it didn’t start that way for receiver Malik Washington (fifth-round pick), who bobbled the first punt he fielded.

But he turned it around fast with 21 yards rushing on a reverse, a catch for five yards, and 67 return yards in two quarters of play. Washington certainly looked the part and should give the Dolphins confidence that he can handle WR5 duties if they get a trade offer they like for Braxton Berrios.

But the real rookie standout on this night was running back Jaylen Wright, who rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

We all knew about Wright’s game-breaking speed long before Friday night. But he paired it with excellent vision and patience. And based on what we’ve seen in camp and now a game, Wright absolutely should be part of the Dolphins’ running back rotation in 2024.

The most pleasant surprise of the night? Patrick Paul, the second-round pick who started at left tackle and played well into the second half.

He was excellent in both the run game and pass protection and showed more than enough for the Dolphins to consider having him as a gameday active this fall.

One more name to remember: Safety Patrick McMorris, who had two tackles for loss and a pass breakup Friday night. McMorris probably needs a strong preseason to make the Dolphins’ 53-man roster, and Friday was certainly a good start.

Tua Tagovailoa Sits, Speaks

Skylar Thompson and Mike White split the quarterback duties down the middle, with Thompson starting and playing the first half, and White taking over after the intermission.

Tua Tagovailoa, as expected, got the night off. But he did agree to an in-game interview with the local broadcast team.

Asked if fans should expect new wrinkles in the Mike McDaniel offense, Tagovailoa replied:

“I don’t want to give too much, but I would say we’re sort of looking to add to what we’ve done last year. Hopefully we can be a little more consistent this year with bringing a lot of the things we did last year into this year.”

Tagovailoa also discussed incorporating scrambling into his repertoire this year, saying:

“That’s a feel thing. Situationally, you just got to know what down it is, you got to know where you’re at, what the play asks of you. But I’m a quarterback — I look to throw the ball first. But if I got to run the ball, I got to run it.”

Injuries Pile Up

The Dolphins didn’t have a single starter dress for Friday night’s game. And when you look at their updated list of injured players, it was absolutely the right move.

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Among the Dolphins players sent to the team’s newly renovated locker room for medical evaluation following game-stopping injuries: Guard/tackle Kion Smith, defensive back Siran Neal (who was excellent in special teams and both forced and recovered a fumble on defense), linebacker Grayson Murphy, and tight end Tanner Conner. All four of those players entered the game with a real chance to make Miami’s 53-man roster.

Tight end Jody Fortson Jr. also left the game after taking a hit to the head.