5 ‘Super-Secret Superstars’ for the Miami Dolphins in 2024

The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 season came to a disappointing end as they failed to qualify for the playoffs despite huge preseason expectations. The focus for the team has to be figuring out what went wrong, how it can be fixed, and what changes need to be made during the 2025 offseason. Who starred, who is developing, and who disappointed?

Miami has to answer a lot of questions. Who was their “secret superstar” this year. Pro Football Focus released their list of “unheralded stars who fly under the radar” on Wednesday. Bradley Lockler put together a list of one player from each team who qualify for his list based on “how good their seasons were relative to the wider discussion.”

I think he got it wrong for the Dolphins.

Not because of how the player played, but because it is hard to say his selection was “under the radar.”

Lockler selected defensive tackle Calais Campbell as Miami’s secret superstar. He explained the pick, writing:

The Dolphins could be one of the poster children for a team chock-full of underrated players, leaving this a tough selection. It’s hard to go wrong with Campbell, who was still terrific at 38. His 85.9 PFF run-defense grade ranked 20th among qualified defenders, and he complemented it with a 10.8% pass-rush win rate and 39 pressures. Down Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips for most of 2024, the Dolphins relied on Campbell to defeat blocks as more than a stopgap signing.

I think the real reason Lockler picked Campbell was simply his age. Yes, at 38, Campbell is exceeding all expectations, and I am hopeful he is back next year with the Dolphins. He is a great player, but calling a six-time Pro Bowl, member of the NFL All-Decade team for the 2010s, and a future Hall of Fame player as a “secret” seems off.

If Campbell is Miami’s secret superstar, I nominate five other players as the “super-secret superstars” for the 2024 Dolphins:

2024 Miami Dolphins “Super-Secret Superstars”

5. Emmanuel Ogbah, linebacker

For Ogbah, even his position is listed incorrectly. The Dolphins call him a linebacker, but he was a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end for much more of this season. If Ogbah was on the field (and even when he was not), Miami looked a lot more 4-3 than they did in a traditional 3-4 set. Ogbah’s career with the Dolphins seemed well over after his 2023 season, where he made one start in 15 appearances and seemed like a forgotten member of the defense under Vic Fangio. With Anthony Walker now the defensive coordinator and Ogbah returning as a late addition to the team, he provided a spark as a pass rusher. He totaled just five sacks on the year, but he definitely seemed to be a key player – especially with the in-season injury to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb missing the entire year.

4. De’Von Achane, running back

I debated whether or not to include Achane, because he seems to be more of a household name than some of the others on the list, but his play earns him a spot here. He started 16 of the team’s 17 games, carrying the ball 203 times for 907 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 78 passes for 592 yards and six touchdowns. His 281 touches were more than double anyone else’s on the team and his 78 receptions were third on the club. His 1,499 yards from scrimmage were nearly 500 yards more than anyone else on the team this season. He is listed as a running back, but he quickly become more of an offensive weapon than a running back. Heading into his third season, the growth and evolution of Achane will be something to watch.

3. Jordyn Brooks, linebacker

Miami signed Brooks as a free agent in March, adding the former first-round pick from the Seattle Seahawks. The team essentially traded linebackers with the Seahawks, who signed Jerome Baker, the Dolphins former third-round pick. Baker was traded to the Tennessee Titans during the season, while Brooks cemented himself into the Miami defense. Starting all 17 games, Brooks recorded 143 tackles, three aks, six passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries. He finished 10th in the league in tackles, and he was a solid presence in the middle of the defense throughout the year.

2. Jonnu Smith, tight end

Two years ago, Smith was coming off two bad years with the New England Patriots, where he just never seemed to fit the offensive scheme. The former third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans joined the Atlanta Falcons to revive his career. He caught 50 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns with the Falcons, but was released after the season. With head coach Mike McDaniel saying during the offseason that the next evolution of his offense is the tight end position, the Dolphins added Smith on a two-year contract. He rewarded the team with career highs in catches (88), yards (884), and touchdowns (8). Smith should be a Pro Bowl player this year and is definitely a “super-secret superstar” at this point.

1. Zach Sieler, defensive tackle

At this point, it feels like people are purposely ignoring Sieler. The former seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens, Sieler has become a destructive force in the middle of the Dolphins’ defensive line. He backed up 2023’s 10-sack season with a second-consecutive 10-sack performance this year – the only defensive tackle to reach double-digit sacks each of the last two years. The last time Miami had a player with 10 or more sacks in two straight seasons was Cameron Wake. It seems like, whenever the Dolphins need a play, Sieler is the guy who is going to get it done. Sieler was named the team MVP this year – he is clearly a superstar to the Dolphins and the fans. Now the NFL needs to take notice of him.