Who Are the Dolphins’ 7 Waiver Claims? Breaking Down Every Player
The Miami Dolphins weren’t shy when the NFL waiver wire opened following final roster cuts.
Miami claimed seven players off waivers on Monday, more than twice as many as any other NFL team, as general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley continued to reshape the roster just days before the start of the 2026 regular season. The group consists of quarterback Brady Cook, tight end Justin Joly, offensive tackles Chukwuebuka Godrick and Jarrett Kingston, and defensive backs Marcellas Dial, Reese Taylor and Julius Wood.
The volume of moves is significant. Miami already had the NFL’s youngest initial 53-man roster, and claiming seven players makes it clear the Dolphins aren’t viewing that first roster as a finished product.
Here is a closer look at each of Miami’s seven newest players.
QB Brady Cook
Perhaps the most recognizable name of the group is Brady Cook, who Miami claimed from the New York Jets.
Cook originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent after a lengthy career at Missouri. He developed into a three-year starter for the Tigers and became known for his toughness, mobility and leadership.
Cook’s college career included more than 9,000 passing yards and significant contributions as a runner. He helped Missouri emerge as a contender in the SEC and finished his career as one of the winningest quarterbacks in school history.
Unlike many players hitting waivers at this point in their careers, Cook already has NFL regular-season starting experience.
He appeared in five games and started four for the Jets as a rookie in 2025. Cook completed 88 of 153 passes for 739 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions. New York went 0-4 in his four starts.
The Dolphins’ decision to claim him is particularly interesting because Miami just traded for former Packers quarterback Kyle McCord after sending Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville. Cook now joins a quarterback room featuring Malik Willis, McCord and Cook.
Cook isn’t likely being brought in to immediately challenge Willis for the starting job, but he gives Miami another young quarterback with actual NFL game experience.
TE Justin Joly
Justin Joly might be the most intriguing of Miami’s seven claims.
The Denver Broncos selected Joly just a few months ago with the 152nd overall selection in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Denver ultimately decided to waive him, and Miami quickly jumped at the opportunity.
Joly began his college career at UConn before transferring to NC State for his final two seasons. He developed into a productive receiving tight end and earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2025.
Across four college seasons, Joly appeared in 49 games and caught 166 passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, Joly’s appeal comes largely from what he can offer as a receiver. His development as a blocker appears to be an area that still needs work. Denver reportedly viewed him as raw entering the NFL, and an offseason injury slowed his development.
There were still flashes of his receiving potential, including an 88-yard touchdown in Denver’s final preseason game.
For Miami, this is essentially an opportunity to acquire a player another team considered worthy of a fifth-round pick only months ago. At 21 years old, Joly still has considerable room to develop.
DB Marcellas Dial
Miami’s secondary received three new additions, beginning with former New England Patriots defensive back Marcellas Dial.
Dial played collegiately at South Carolina after beginning his career at Georgia Military College. He developed into an important member of the Gamecocks’ secondary, including a 2022 season in which he recorded three interceptions and 15 passes defended.
New England selected Dial with the 180th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, Dial appeared in all 17 regular-season games and made one start. Much of his value came on special teams, where he demonstrated the type of versatility that can help a player secure one of the final spots on an NFL roster.
His 2025 season was derailed when he landed on injured reserve.
For Miami, Dial offers another relatively young cornerback who already understands what is required to contribute on NFL special teams. That combination could give him a legitimate opportunity to stick around.
OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
There probably isn’t a more unconventional story among Miami’s waiver claims than Chukwuebuka Godrick.
Godrick is from Nigeria and did not play college football. He came to the NFL through the league’s International Player Pathway program and joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
The Chiefs spent several years developing Godrick on their practice squad before waiving him during their latest roster moves. Kansas City’s official transaction announcement lists the 6-foot-5 tackle as having no college affiliation.
Godrick remains very much a developmental prospect. He doesn’t have the years of high-level football experience that most NFL offensive linemen possess, but his physical tools have been intriguing enough for Kansas City to invest several seasons in his development.
Now Miami gets an opportunity to see whether that investment is beginning to pay off.
The Dolphins have been searching for offensive-line depth throughout the offseason, and there is little downside to taking a look at a physically gifted tackle who spent several years developing inside one of the league’s most successful organizations.
OL Jarrett Kingston
While Godrick is a developmental project, Jarrett Kingston arrives with a much more traditional football background.
Kingston played extensively at Washington State before transferring to USC for his final college season. His biggest selling point may be his versatility.
During his time at Washington State, Kingston appeared in 37 games and made 26 starts, including starts at both left guard and left tackle. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 recognition before eventually transferring to USC.
That ability to move between tackle and guard could make Kingston especially useful for Miami.
Backup offensive linemen often need to cover multiple positions on game day, and Kingston has meaningful experience playing both inside and outside.
He entered the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers before eventually landing with the Houston Texans. The Texans waived him, allowing Miami to put in its successful claim.
Kingston may not have the upside of some of Miami’s other additions, but his positional flexibility could give him a path to becoming a useful depth offensive lineman.
DB Reese Taylor
The Dolphins went back to the Denver Broncos for their second claim by adding defensive back Reese Taylor.
Taylor’s football career has been defined by versatility. He began his college career at Indiana before transferring to Purdue, and he has experience in the secondary and return game.
Taylor went undrafted before getting his opportunity in Denver.
His path to playing time with the Broncos was difficult because of the depth in front of him. Denver reportedly hoped Taylor would clear waivers so the team could bring him back on the practice squad. Miami prevented that from happening by claiming him.
That detail is worth noting.
The Broncos were apparently interested in continuing to develop Taylor, but Miami believed in his potential enough to secure a spot on the active roster for him.
His ability to play in the secondary and contribute on special teams should give him multiple avenues to earn a role with the Dolphins.
DB Julius Wood
The third defensive back Miami added is Julius Wood, who comes over from the Dallas Cowboys.
Wood took the junior-college route, beginning at Blinn College before transferring to East Carolina.
Once he reached ECU, Wood developed into one of the most productive players on the Pirates’ defense.
He became a high-volume tackler and finished his East Carolina career with 189 tackles while also producing four interceptions, three forced fumbles and eight pass breakups.
Wood led East Carolina in tackles in consecutive seasons and earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2023.
His college production provides a good indication of his style. Wood has shown a willingness to come downhill and make tackles rather than functioning exclusively as a coverage defensive back.
That could make him particularly intriguing for special teams while Miami determines how he fits into the defensive backfield.
What Miami’s Seven Claims Tell Us
The positions Miami targeted shouldn’t be overlooked.
Three of the seven players are defensive backs. Two are offensive tackles. The Dolphins also added a tight end and quarterback.
That looks less like random waiver-wire activity and more like Miami identifying specific areas where the front office believed it could improve the bottom half of the roster.
And Miami was far more aggressive than everyone else.
The Dolphins’ seven successful claims were the most in the NFL, with no other team claiming more than three players.
There is also an important distinction between these moves and signing free agents off the street. Players claimed off waivers must initially go onto the active roster, meaning Miami’s seven additions require corresponding moves to remain at the 53-player limit.
Not all seven players are necessarily going to become long-term Dolphins. Some could ultimately be replaced as Miami continues evaluating the bottom of its roster.
But there are intriguing stories within the group.
Joly is a 21-year-old tight end who was a fifth-round draft pick only months ago. Cook already has four NFL starts under his belt. Dial has appeared in a full NFL season. Kingston brings position flexibility. Godrick offers developmental upside, while Taylor and Wood add youth and competition to the secondary and special teams.
The first version of the Dolphins’ 53-man roster clearly wasn’t the final version.
Sullivan and Hafley are still building it.
