5 Dolphins players to watch vs. the Patriots in Week 18

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The Miami Dolphins are no longer playing for a postseason berth, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t playing for anything. As last week showed, Miami has an opportunity to see what it has in its young players.

Sure, a win would be nice, but it may be more important for the Dolphins to figure out what pieces they can build with and which players need to be replaced. Last week was a good start, but playing the New England Patriots, who have been one of this season’s best teams, will give Miami’s promising players a good test.

Here are five players who will be crucial for the Dolphins in their Week 18 game against the New England Patriots:

QB Quinn Ewers

Two starts into Quinn Ewers’ NFL career, he’s shown just enough to think that he has some potential to grow into a starter. Through two games, Ewers has 34 completions on 53 attempts for 432 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

After he threw both interceptions in his first start, his two-touchdown follow-up performance in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was much more impressive. As a non-playoff team, beating the playoff hopeful Bucs was a great win for Ewers and the team.

The Patriots will be aiming to win in an attempt to secure the top seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. If Ewers plays well, it will be the best step of his professional career.

RB Jaylen Wright

The Dolphins have their franchise running back. If De’Von Achane keeps playing at his current level and remains with the team for years, he has potential to be one of Miami’s best players ever.

But that doesn’t mean they don't need to find value behind him on the depth chart. Rookie Ollie Gordon II had some good flashes this season, but Jaylen Wright is the true wildcard of the backfield.

Throughout the first two seasons of Wright’s career, he has struggled to consistently get on the field. As the season has progressed, he has seen more snaps. This could be a good opportunity to see if he should remain in the fold.

TE Greg Dulcich

The tight end position looked to be the best matchup Miami had last week against Tampa Bay. But it wasn’t Darren Waller who reaped the benefits.

Since fizzling out with the Denver Broncos, Dulcich has been looking for a way back onto the field, and he found himself an important part of the Dolphins’ offense last Sunday.

Dulcich looked great last week. Coach Mike McDaniel may way to see how real that production was against a better team.

DT Kenneth Grant

Despite being an intriguing draft pick in the 2025 draft, former Michigan lineman Kenneth Grant hasn’t found consistent success on the field in his rookie season. It’s unlikely the Dolphins will try to replace him soon, but this week’s game could be a good way to see how he is best used moving forward.

So far this season, he has 15 solo tackles and 2 sacks. Miami’s defensive line has solid contributors, but finding a way to get Grant a spot on the line more regularly would make the most of their investment in him.

He’s developed some over the season, but hopefully the Dolphins get a glimpse of the first-round talent he is in the season finale.

CB Jason Marshall Jr.

Like Grant, Jason Marshall Jr. was a rookie who found himself on the field early. And with the injuries to the Dolphins’ secondary this season, Marshall often bore a lot of responsibility.

Marshall had a solid rookie season, but it’s hard to tell what his role will be on the team going forward. There’s a chance Miami gets healthier next year and he doesn’t play as much as he did this year.

Marshall likely has done enough to stick on the roster, but if Miami gets a chance to replace him, the team should continue to add talent in the secondary.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins vs. Patriots: 5 Miami players to watch in Week 18

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