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An Overview of the Miami Dolphins Defense
The Dolphins played strong pass defense and were effective at keeping opponents out of the end zone in 2024. The unit was top-10 in completion percentage, second in passing yards allowed, and most importantly, surrendered the 10th fewest points. There are, however, many things this defense needs to improve if they are to contend. The run defense was porous, finishing 24th in yards despite facing the 5th fewest rush attempts. Only five teams generated fewer sacks, while just five teams produced fewer turnovers.
Surprisingly, the organization did not emphasize top-tier defensive personnel in the offseason. Free agency brought them a pair of bargain-priced safeties who are likely to start, but only because the secondary was blown up, and a pair of backup linebackers who might challenge for playing time, but only because the team is thin at the position.
The one big investment Miami made was in tackle Kenneth Grant, whom they took in Round 1. The Dolphins used five draft picks on defense, with the other four coming on day three. In all, they added eight players who work up the middle of the defense. Three tackles, two linebackers, and three safeties. Grant should be a plus, but it remains to be seen if any of the others are an improvement.
Miami Dolphins Defensive Linemen
The Dolphins accomplished the goal of getting younger up front. Gone are Calais Campbell, Emmanuel Ogbah, Da'Shawn Hand, and Tyus Bowser, all of whom will be at least 30 by November. That leaves Zach Sieler as the elder statesman of the group at 29.
As we close in on the start of training camp, one question we need to have answered is, how will the Dolphins line up on the interior? It is safe to assume that Zach Sieler will work at one of the outside tackle spots. Kenneth Grant and Benito Jones are the other projected starters. Both players check in at 330+ pounds and are considered nose tackles. Either one of them will have to slide out to the 5-technique, or they will rotate at the nose while Quentin Bell or Ben Stille work outside.
What we do know is that Sieler is the sure IDP target here. He has been an outstanding option for fantasy managers in recent years. Sieler's first full season as a starter was 2021. That year, he went 34-28-2 with 3 turnovers and achieved his first top-12 ranking. In 2022, Sieler was 41-30-3.5 with a couple of forced fumbles, and his second top-12. In 2023, he exploded, adding 10 sacks and 4 turnovers to his 64 combined tackles to finish third among interior linemen. Heading into last season, there was uncertainty about the ten-sack season being a one-year outlier. Sieler slipped a bit in the tackle columns, totaling 28-27, but he reached double-digit sacks for the second straight year, checking in at sixth among tackles. With four consecutive top-12s, Sieler is as safe an option as we can hope for in a defensive tackle. Even if his sack production slides, he makes enough tackles to be a quality DT1.
Sieler has four consecutive top-12 finishes. Yet, between 2021 and 2023, he finished behind then-teammate Christian Wilkins twice and one slot ahead of him once. With Wilkins gone, Calais Campbell moved into the position and was number eleven last year. The point being that Miami's defense has been a goldmine of fantasy production at the defensive tackle position, yielding a pair of top-12 players in four consecutive years. Is the rookie the next to step up?
Grant was not uber productive in the box scores at Michigan, but his numbers were respectable. In two years (27 games) as a starter, he totaled 61 stops, 6.5 sacks, 10 swatted passes, and 4 turnovers. He has a lot to prove before anyone compares his game to that of Wilkins or Campbell, but he is certainly in a situation that could make him productive.
Benito Jones is penciled in as the other starter on the inside, but that is not set in stone. He will have competition from former Cardinal Ben Stille and the duo of late-round rookies, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers.
Miami's poor sack total from last year had more to do with injuries than a shortage of talent. Jaelen Phillips was lost to an ACL in week four, and Bradley Chubb never played a snap. Phillips was the team's first-round pick in 2021. While working as the third man on the edge, he put up eight and a half sacks in his rookie season, but his tackle totals were not great. Phillips moved into the lead role in year two, recording 60 combined stops with 7 sacks and a pair of turnovers, breaking into the top 20. Then the injuries hit. He was in and out of the lineup, seeing action in eight games in 2023 before tearing his Achilles. Yet his numbers were rather impressive at 28-15-6 on just 367 snaps. He was being eased back into action last year before the knee injury. The bottom line here is that Phillips can be a beast if he can only squash the injury bug. He may not be 100% early in the year, but is expected to be available by the start of the season.
Chubb is entering his eighth season and has battled injuries throughout his career. He had a huge rookie campaign with Denver in 2018, going 43-16-12. Then the injuries started. Chubb played four games in 2019. He only missed two in 2020 but was at less than 100% for most of the season. He missed seven games in 2021 and was traded to Miami midway through 2022. His first full year with the Dolphins brought back memories of that impressive rookie campaign, at least until he tore his ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon in December. Chubb was 45-28-11 with 7 turnovers, finishing sixth in the rankings. He sat out last season while recovering from surgery and is reportedly fully healthy entering training camp.
If Phillips and Chubb are healthy, this will be a different Dolphins defense. If either of them misses a beat, the team now has a backup plan in place. Chop Robinson was Miami's first-round pick last year. Like many young pass rushers, his career started slowly as a rotational player, seeing action mostly on passing downs. He was quiet in the box scores for the first half of the year, then the light came on, and Robinson finished with six sacks over the final nine games. He needs to show improvement at the point of attack versus the run, but should make a solid contribution as the third man. If everyone stays healthy, Robinson is unlikely to be a fantasy factor. With the injury history of Phillips and Chubb, Robinson is one snap away from the starting job and possible IDP relevance.
- Edge Jaelan Phillips – Injury risk with top-12 potential
- Edge Chop Robinson – Injury sleeper
- Edge Bradley Chubb – Injury risk with big upside
- Edge Quinton Bell – Injury deep sleeper
- DT Zach Sieler – Solid DT1 with top-5 potential
- DT Kenneth Grant – Strong sleeper
- DT Benito Jones – Watchlist player
- DT Jordan Phillips – Deep sleeper
- DT Ben Stille – No impact expected
Miami Dolphins Linebackers
Injuries were the problem with the pass rush. Marginal play and a lack of depth at linebacker led to the dismal showing against the run. The Dolphins had one good linebacker in Jordan Brooks, who performed admirably both on the field and in the box scores.
Brooks was a tackling machine with 142 combined stops, including 86 solos. He contributed the splash play columns as well, with three sacks and two takeaways. Those numbers led to the third top-ten finish of his five-year career. The two times Brooks has fallen short were his rookie season when he was not a full-time player, and in 2023 when he was recovering from a knee injury. Brooks should pick up right where he left off and give us another strong performance in 2025.
The coaching staff spent the entire season looking for an answer at the other linebacker spot. The search continues heading into 2025. They started with David Long Jr, who was benched in week three for Anthony Walker. Then the two split time for a few weeks before Walker took over the position in week nine. Walker was injured in Week 12, leaving the job to Tyrel Dodson, who had come over in a trade from Buffalo.
Walker and Long are gone, leaving Dodson to compete with bargain basement free agents K.J. Britt and Willie Gay Jr for the starting job. All three of these guys have starting experience, but there is a reason the Dolphins were able to pick them up cheap. It doesn't take a great player to put up good fantasy numbers on defense. An average player in a good situation can be very productive. Dodson fits that description and is the favorite to come out of camp with the job.
- ILB Jordyn Brooks – Quality LB1
- ILB Tyrel Dodson – Marginal player in a good situation
- ILB K.J. Britt – Deep sleeper with marginal upside
- ILB Channing Tindall – Special teams guy
- ILB Willie Gay Jr – No impact expected
Miami Dolphins Defensive Backs
The secondary performed well in 2024, but it got a complete makeover anyway. The only returning starter from last season will likely be corner Kader Kohou. Jalen Ramsey is still on the roster as of mid-June, but he is not participating in the off-season program as the team looks for a trade partner. Jordan Poyer failed to live up to expectations last season. He and Kendall Fuller were not invited back. Jevon Holland took the free-agent bus out of town. Some of these changes were performance-related, some had more to do with the salary cap.
The revamped unit is expected to feature Kohou in the slot with second-year pro Storm Duck at one outside spot and the winner of a wide-open competition at the other. Former second-round pick (2023) Cam Smith, fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr., and veterans Artie Burns and Kendall Sheffield could all get a look. Smith might be the early favorite, but a hamstring injury in late May could get in the way. The coaching staff is said to be high on Marshall, which could lead to an interesting, rookie corner rule situation. Kohou has been fantasy-friendly in the past. That was when he was working opposite Ramsey. For now, it might be best to avoid all of this until we have a better idea of what is going on.
The most intriguing prospect in the Dolphins' secondary, and one of my favorite sleepers, is safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. The 2021 third-round selection of the Lions doesn't have a lot of history to look at. He dealt with injuries for a good portion of his time in Detroit, including nearly all of 2024, never landing a starting job. Melifonwu had one short stint to make an impression in 2023. He took full advantage of the audition. Melifonwu started the final five games that season, posting average tackle numbers of 23-8. It was his big play production that turned heads as he racked up 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and 7 passes defended.
There is some question as to which safety spot Melifonwu will fill. My expectation is that he'll line up at strong. Considering the linebacker situation, that could spell solid tackle numbers. Providing his big-play explosion was not a mirage, Melifonwu could be the steal of this year's drafts.
Ashtyn Davis comes over from the Jets and has been penciled in as the other starting safety. He played both spots during his time with New York, failing to excel at either. The Jets listed him at free safety, though for most of his time there, Davis was the top backup at both positions. He was not fantasy friendly during his stint as a starter in 2021, so the best thing he can do for us is to win the free safety job so that Melifonwu plays at strong.
The wildcard here is rookie fifth-round pick Dante Trader Jr... Trader is a versatile safety who can play either position or work in the slot. He's not big but is a physical tackler with good range. Maybe the best thing Trader has going for him is that he was a productive three-year starter at Maryland, where he produced 190 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 15 passes defended. Trader could also get on the field as the slot corner, allowing the team to move Kohou outside if need be. Put him on the watchlist for the preseason.
- SS Ifeatu Melifonwu – Sleeper with strong potential
- FS Ashtyn Davis – Marginal impact at best
- SS Elijah Campbell – Injury sleeper
- SS Dante Trader Jr. – Watchlist player
- CB Jalen Ramsey – Likely to be working elsewhere
- CB Kader Kohou – Possible starter for us
- CB Storm Duck – Worth keeping an eye on
- CB Kendall Sheffield – No impact expected
- CB Jason Marshall Jr. – Rookie corner rule could come into play
- CB Cam Smith – Deep sleeper with unknown potential
That does it for the Dolphins. The Patriots are next.
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