Miami Dolphins: Running Back Depth Chart

By Ryan Ratty | May 14, 2015

With Lamar Miller entering a contract year and the Miami Dolphins drafting a talented running back in Jay Ajayi, the running back position is very intriguing in South Beach.

All eyes will be on Ryan Tannehill in the 2015 NFL season. With so much potential, the Miami Dolphins have pegged the former Texas A&M product as the man for the future. While there has been some retooling this offseason, the Dolphins have brought in some nice players through the draft and free agency.

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Over the offseason, even though they traded away No. 1 receiver Mike Wallace, the Dolphins traded for Kenny Stills. While Stills won’t make defenses key in on him as much as Wallace did, but he does bring a home-run threat element that Tannehill desperately needed.

On top of Stills, Jarvis Landry is obviously going to improve from his rookie season and you can’t forget about the free agent addition of Greg Jennings, who, despite being past his prime, has some ability left in him that could be huge for this offense. The Dolphins also used their first-round pick on Louisville’s DeVante Parker. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, with sub 4.45 40-yard dash speed, Parker has the tools and ability to be a productive No. 1 receiver for years to come.

The wide receiving group will help tremendously, but the running game will be huge in 2015 for the Dolphins. Having a productive running game not only makes things easier in the passing game, but it also makes defenses stay conservative and not load the defense with guys in coverage.

Even though Lamar Miller had the most productive year of his career in 2014, the Dolphins still went out and drafted Jay Ajayi in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Here’s what NFL Network‘s Mark Dulgerian had to say about Ajayi and the Dolphins drafting him:

"“Miami needed running back depth and they got a potential steal in the 5th round. Ajayi slipped due to serious knee concerns, but if he stays healthy he can be a 18-25 carry back in the NFL. The Dolphins got a potential replacement for Lamar Miller, who’s in a contract year.”"

While the Dolphins used a value pick on Ajayi, the reality is that he can be an extremely good player for the Dolphins, as he has all the prerequisite traits that are needed for the zone-blocking scheme. Ajayi is a bigger back, he has great vision, and he’s excellent at setting up his offensive linemen for blocks.

Interestingly enough, Miller will be entering the last year of his contract in 2015 and although he’s shown that he has the ability to run for over 1,000 yards, the reality is that it’s not worth it to bring him back on an extended contract. That said, Ajayi could very well be the starting back in 2016.

With Miller and Ajayi set to make up a 1-2 punch for the time being at least in 2015, the Dolphins have some depth behind them. Damien Williams, LaMichael James, and Mike Gillislee, as of now, round out the rest of the depth chart. Given that Miller and Ajayi will share the load, the probability of the Dolphins keeping more than three running backs on the roster is extremely slim.

Despite what may or may not happen in 2016, the fact of the matter is that the Dolphins a good influx of depth and immediate-impact ability at the position. Obviously, the offensive line has some improvement to do, but Tannehill should flourish with a running back group like the Dolphins currently have.

Next: Miami Dolphins Draft Prospect Profile: DeVante Parker

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