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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