The Miami Dolphins had practiced four times without an appearance by the orange jersey. Then on Thursday, Raekwon Davis took the practice field in maybe the biggest orange jersey there’d ever been, with the 6-foot-7, 325-pound defensive tackle’s No. 98 on it.

The orange jersey is a practice award given by the Miami coaches to a player who had an outstanding performance in the previous practice. The player also gets to select the music playlist for his orange-jersey practice.

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“That’s cool,” Davis said with a shrug and a laugh at a Thursday press conference. “I just go and continue to do what I do each and every day in and out. It’s just an orange jersey.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Davis had come a long way since joining Miami in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, even since he became the team’s coach last year. McDaniel said he had shown the players video of a drill performed by Davis last year and this year to illustrate.

“I made a big point in the team meeting today and showed a clip of individual (drills) from yesterday,” McDaniel said on Thursday. “We were talking as coaches and it kind of triggered my mind, a rep of the same drill back in the last OTAs, so 2022 OTAs. It kind of represents one of the main focuses and appreciations of being a coach in this great game and something that you really hope to see everyone go through, which was a complete and utter transformation in mind and body.

“His attention to detail, he’s in the best shape of his life by far and you can see it with his play. He’s adding different tools to his game. And he’s always had a lot of love from the locker room. You can feel that as a coach and you can feel his teammates really appreciate where he’s at, what he’s done to control what he can control. The Miami Dolphins are better for it, so that’s a big and deserving jersey.”

The former Alabama standout isn’t letting the orange jersey or the coach’s praise turn his head.

“I love him,” Davis said of McDaniel, “but you know, I was taught rat poison from Nick Saban.

“But it’s been a great camp this year for me so far. Just got to keep it going, maintain my diet, maintenance, keep progressing, little things like that.”

Davis has been a starter since joining Miami, but he’s learning a new defense this year with Vic Fangio coming aboard for his 20th season as an NFL defensive coordinator.

“I did a lot of pass-rushing training this offseason, just to get better because I know I’m going to need it for this year,” Davis said. “Going into this new defensive scheme, I’m definitely going to have to be able to pass rush and keep a high motor.”

Davis said Fangio’s wide-ranging attention to detail throughout the defense reminded him of another of his coaches.

“When we’re doing individual drills, he’s at every drill,” Davis said. “He’s just going around, looking at everybody’s technique. He’s also coaching us, too, at the same time as our (position) coach is doing. That’s awesome, man. That’s pretty great. …

“Coach Saban did it, I’ll say that. How about that? He did it.”

The Dolphins will conclude their preseason schedule by visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars at 6 p.m. CDT Saturday. Miami will kick off its 2023 regular season by visiting the Los Angeles Chargers at 3:25 p.m. Sept. 10.

“Right now, I feel this is probably going to be the best year for me,” Davis said. “I’m feeling the best. …

“I’m not going to say it right now, but I’ve definitely got a lot of goals for myself. I hope to – I’m going to achieve them.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.