The Miami Dolphins will be facing the Detroit Lions on Sunday for the first time since the 2022 season, and the Lions sure have come a long way since then.

Still in the relatively early stages of a rebuilding project then, the Lions have progressed to become perennial contenders.

In that sense, the Lions team the Dolphins will face Sunday is pretty much what they aspire to become.

It might not show on the field at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, but it says here the Dolphins are on their way toward becoming what the Lions have become.

THE EARLY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE LIONS AND DOLPHINS

At the center of the Lions’ rebuild is head coach Dan Campbell, who from the start has possessed an innate ability to lead. That was obvious even when he was interim head coach of the Dolphins in 2015, and it also was apparent even after his first Lions team in 2021 started that season 0-10-1.

While he hasn’t talked about “biting kneecaps” — at least not in press conference — Jeff Hafley sure looks like he possesses impressive leadership qualities.

And if you don’t believe that, just rewatch the postgame video after the Dolphins’ first victory of the season against the New York Jets in Week 7.

Or you could check out the words of Josh Uche when he told reporters, according to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post, “I think it starts with the head coach. The energy he brings, no toxicity, it's just all football. All ball, all details, all discipline."

OK, it’s not just about Hafley being a good leader because that will only take a team so far, and the Lions aren’t the Lions simply because of Campbell.

It’s taken a lot of good personnel decisions, and the first one of Detroit’s rebuild in 2021 was taking tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh overall selection in the draft — one pick after the Dolphins bypassed Sewell, who they could have used then and could use now, and instead took wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

The first draft pick of the Dolphins’ new regime of GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and Hafley kind of looked like what Detroit did, with Miami taking a foundational piece for the offensive line with Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor.

Through the first seven games of the 2026 season, Proctor absolutely looks the part of somebody who could end up doing for Miami what Sewell has done for Detroit.

Detroit continued their string of big-time draft hits with Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch and Amon-Ra St. Brown with later picks, and those players have formed the foundation of a team that was on the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2023, secured the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in 2024, and is among the leading NFC contenders this season.

The Dolphins’ first draft class under Sullivan and Hafley needs a little bit more time to fully be evaluated, but the prognosis is very impressive with not only Proctor, but Chris Johnson, Jacob Rodriguez, Caleb Douglas and maybe a couple of others as well.

The key for the Dolphins will be to continue making good draft selections, and also solidify the quarterback position, whether with Malik Willis or a draft pick in 2027 or 2028.

In some ways, the Dolphins already are ahead of the Lions because they already have that first win.

However many more are in the cards for Miami in 2026 is debatable, but what’s more important is continuing on that similar Detroit track.