Which Miami Dolphin is most likely to join ranks of All-Pro for first time in 2021?
The 2020 season brought plenty of good fortune for the Miami Dolphins as a team, although the year ended with the most anti-climatic ending you could possibly dream up. Yet as the dust settled and it became easier to digest the full body of work for the Miami Dolphins in 2020, it became clear that there was plenty to take pride in. The Dolphins have long been a team lacking in individual accolades  and yet the Dolphins finished the season with two first-team All-Pro players in 2020:  CB Xavien Howard  K Jason Sanders  The duo became Miamis first pair of All-Pro teammates on the same year since 2006, when two guys named Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor were named first-team All-Pro under the watch of Nick Saban on defense. Between 2006 and 2020, only Cameron Wake (2012) and Jake Long (2010) received All-Pro recognition in any season. Think about that. Miami has played one game this decade and equalled the number of All-Pro honors the team collected in the entirety of the 2010s all together. Thats progress, even if one of them is a special teamer. Miami hasnt had three or more All-Pro players on a single team since 2002, when Ricky Williams, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas and Patrick Surtain all brought home All-Pro recognition. That Dolphins team somehow finished 9-7, 3rd in the AFC East and missed the playoffs. Miami nearly missed three All-Pros this past year, believe it or not. Punt returner Jakeem Grant finished with second-team All-Pro honors; missing out to New Englands Gunner Olszewski. It is difficult to see an offensive player with any threat to make that kind of a leap other than maybe Mike Gesicki  and even then hes need an offensive explosion and down years from Kansas Citys Travis Kelce and Las Vegas Darren Waller. A big breakthrough will be needed on defense. Perhaps LB Jerome Baker can continue to fill up the stat sheet and make the improvements against the run that hes said hes hoping for. That feels like the most likely choice. Nose tackle Raekwon Davis is trending towards being a top option in the NFL for such a role but he likely wont fill up the stat sheet in a manner that will tempt voters to place him in over penetration-style 3-technique defensive tackles. Finding another elite player that can lay claim to the top of the mountain in the entire NFL wont be easy. Perhaps another special teams contender (Noah Igbinoghene, Jaylen Waddle or someone else?) can emerge this season. Miami would trade it all for team success; you can say that for certain given the type of players Brian Flores has gravitated towards. But having their cake and eating it too for once would sure be nice for the Dolphins.