The Miami Dolphins will head into training camp at the end of July with a totally different roster than the one that ended the 2025 season after an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of several significant veterans and the arrival of newcomers young and old.The Dolphins have 91 players on their roster with the exemption they have for England-born rookie tight end Seydou Traore, a participant of the International Player Pathway Program.As life goes in the NFL, not every player on the roster is equal, so we decided to rank all of them in terms of their importance to the Dolphins' success in the 2026 season. The list was determined on the basis of not just ability but also expected role and significance to the overall progress of the organization as it continues the rebuilding project that began with the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach.This is part of a series that will run in the lead-up to start of training camp.NUMBER 13: T AUSTIN JACKSONHow he joined the DolphinsThe Dolphins selected Jackson with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft with their second of three first-round pick that year, after QB Tua Tagovailoa and before CB Noah Igbinoghene. Jackson was elected with a pick obtained from Pittsburgh in the 2019 trade that sent safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers.Contract statusJackson is entering the final year of the three-year contract extension he signed in December 2023. After his contract was restructured in 2025 to convert salary into a signing bonus, Jackson accepted a $4.5 million salary cut this year and now is set to earn $7.8 million in 2026, including $5.1 million in prorated signing bonus money, according to Over The Cap. He has a cap number of $6.9 million. Jackson is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. His 2025 seasonFor the third time in four years, Jackson's season was derailed by injuries. After aggravating a toe injury in the season opener that he had sustained in training camp, Jackson wound up missing 11 games at right tackle. Jackson did start the final five games. He earned a 65.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, slightly lower than than 66.2 given to left tackle Patrick Paul.His projected roleJackson provides the Dolphins with a proven starter on a young offensive line that will feature a rookie, a second-year player and a third-year player, but he's got to stay in the lineup to be able to make a difference. Head coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan have put rookie first-round pick Kadyn Proctor at left guard to start his NFL career and that idea depends on Jackson doing the job at right tackle. Jackson has played more than eight games only once since 2021, so dependability has been a problem. It's also the biggest reason the Dolphins very well might move on from Jackson next offseason. At this best, Jackson is a good run blocker in the outside zone scheme and can hold his own in pass protection. But he's got to be on the field to make it work.THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS ON THE COUNTDOWN90. G James Ester89. T Kevin Cline88. QB Mark Gronowski87. DT Keith Cooper Jr.86. EDGE Seth Coleman85. RB Anthony Hankerson84. WR Donaven McCulley83. FB D.J. Herman82. C Jim Bonitas81. LS Tucker Addington80. DT Alex Huntley79. T Marques Cox78. EDGE Rodney McGraw77. TE Cole Turner76. DT Khalil Saunders75. CB Miles Battle74. S Major Burns73. RB Carlos Washington Jr.72. EDGE Robert Beal Jr.71. WR A.J. Henning70. RB Donovan Edwards69. DB Omar Brown68. EDGE Cameron Goode67. WR Jalen Reagor66. EDGE Max Llewellyn65. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.64. CB Ethan Robinson63. G/T Josh Priebe62. DT Rene Konga61. WR Tahj Washington60. QB Cam Miller59. CB A.J. Green III58. EDGE Mason Reiger57. CB Alex Austin56. P Bradley Pinion55. LB Jackson Woodard54. K Zane Gonzalez53. S Louis Moore52. DT Matthew Butler51. CB Marco Wilson50. CB Darrell Baker Jr.49. LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.48. T Charlie Heck47. WR Chris Bell46. CB Storm Duck45. WR Theo Wease Jr.44. TE Seydou Traore43. G DJ Campbell42. G/C Andrew Meyer41. K Riley Patterson40. S Michael Taaffe39. CB Ethan Bonner38. TE Ben Sims37. EDGE David Ojabo36. S Lonnie Johnson Jr.35. Zayne Anderson34. EDGE Josh Uche33. WR Jalen Tolbert32. EDGE/LB Trey Moore31. LB Willie Gay Jr.30. RB Jaylen Wright29. WR Kevin Coleman Jr.28. G Jonah Savaiinaea27. DT Zeek Biggers26. LB Kyle Louis25. RB Ollie Gordon II24. WR Tutu Atwell23. G/T Jamaree Salyer22. WR Malik Washington21. DT Jordan Phillips20. WR Caleb Douglas19. LB Jacob Rodriguez18. CB Jason Marshall Jr.17. S Dante Trader Jr.16. TE Will Kacmarek15. QB Quinn Ewers14. LB Tyrel DodsonAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow