Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley spoke to the media Tuesday morning during the AFC coaches breakfast at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix.
He spoke about a variety of topics, including the team's building blocks, newly acquired quarterback Malik Willis and a consistent theme dating back to his appointment in January — the identity he wants to establish with the Miami Dolphins.
"What I tried to bring to Green Bay was a play style on defense that we were going to play harder and more physical and more violent than everybody that we played," Hafley said. "I want our whole team here in Miami to play with that same mindset. This isn't just about me coaching the defense now, this is about the culture of every person that touches that field, that's what I want it to look like."
The recipe for Hafley's vision of establishing a physical culture comes down to one main ingredient.
"It's the people you bring in. As we go through this draft process, you want to find out if a guy loves football, if a guy is going to be tough and if a guy is going to be physical," Hafley said. "Turn the tape on. If you see a guy running full speed, putting his face on people, a wideout blocking downfield, a guard looking to clean somebody up, if you see those things over and over, you're going to find guys that love football and you're going to find guys that are going to play that way."
At the forefront of his people philosophy is new quarterback Malik Willis. Hafley said he wants to see Willis continue to grow and develop while remaining the same leader and person he has known for the past two years.
"I want Malik to come in and be himself," Hafley said. "I don't want him to change on or off the field because he's an incredible human, and I think he's got great leadership qualities that guys will rally around. I've seen it. These guys have seen it, and I've seen what he can do on the field. He needs to develop, he needs to continue to grow, but I'm not going to put any expectation on what I want to see from him."
The 2026 season, like any other in the NFL, is about growth and development across the roster for the Dolphins. Willis was the only outside free agent the Dolphins signed to a multiyear contract. General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who spoke to local media on Monday, pointed out one common theme across several players in this year's free agent class who received one-year deals.
"Most of these players believe they're a better player than being on a one-year minimum contract so they're out to prove something," Sullivan said. "We're here to win. Every time we line up, competition is going to be at the forefront of everything we do."
These are players who have enjoyed success at the NFL level but yearn for more. Those moves were intentional, just as the 2026 Dolphins draft class will be curated through a shared passion for football. The idea: A collection of players with like-minded goals will push the group to greater heights, and Hafley can't wait to be around them and coach them.
"Am I excited about developing however many draft picks we end up with or guys we end up drafting and then signing after? Yeah, I can't wait to do that," Hafley said. "We also have a lot of guys that we signed that are on one-year deals that we're going to get everything they have too, and I can't wait to pour into them and try to help them in their careers … I'm just excited to get around these guys and coach these guys."
Sullivan also highlighted running back De'Von Achane, center Aaron Brewer and inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks as building blocks among the incumbents.
"Those are going to be the three kind of pillars that we build around," he said. "They understand where they are and what we're trying to get done."
Sullivan spoke about the team's desire to work out a deal with Achane. He reiterated that listening to calls on any player comes with the job, while clarifying that he has made no effort to seek a trade.
"Achane is a very important piece of what we're going to do moving forward. He's a building block for us. It is a priority for us to get a deal done with him," Sullivan said. "I'm very excited about him. He's a difference-maker for us and I see him being here and having a lot of success."
And Hafley is on board.
"He's dynamic," he said of the star running back. "His vision, his acceleration, the way he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's so hard to defend. I'm glad Sully said that."
The message has been consistent. The Dolphins are committed to building a physical, tough and resilient group that shares an undying passion for the game of football. Miami has accumulated a lot of new talent and will add more during the draft. Each of those players will come in and compete, and the tape will dictate who is on the field on Sundays.
For more on Hafley's media availability and everything from the week in Arizona at the league meetings, download the Drive Time podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find Hafley's full media availability from Phoenix on the Dolphins YouTube channel.
