Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Part 31: Miami Dolphins

Overview of the Miami Dolphins Defense

The Dolphins played good pass defense in 2024. That was not the case last season, when they were below average in many respects and mediocre in others. Miami allowed the 8th-most points; they were 26th in yards per pass attempt and 28th in yards per carry, and Buffalo was the only team to allow more long runs. The high points were the mediocre sack numbers of 39 and a multi-team tie for 15th in turnovers with 20.   

The offense was heading in the wrong direction as well, so there is a new coaching staff in town. This time the organization went with a defensive mind to lead the team, hiring Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as head coach. Hafley tapped his Packers staff to bring Sean Duggan with him to fill Miami's DC role. Much like the Jets, this will be an interesting setup. The scheme will be Hafley's, and the head coach will call plays. Duggan will be responsible for the day-to-day work of the coordinator.  

The coaches describe the scheme as multiple. They will shift around, showing 3-4 looks among others, but it is a base 4-3 that will have an even front most of the time. It is a vastly different program from what the team ran last year. In the previous chapter, I wrote about the Bills having several good players who should transition well. Miami has a shortage of those players.

There are core players to build around, and the organization had 13 picks in this year's draft. Six of them were used on defense. Miami snagged corner Chris Johnson in the first, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez in the second, and two more backers in the fourth. Free agency brought in several veteran faces, including edge defenders Josh Uche and Robert Beal Jr., Clelin Ferrell, and David Ojabo. The secondary added Zayne Anderson, Darrell Baker Jr., Lonnie Johnson Jr., and Alex Austin. All of those guys are career backups, though some of them have been starters at times. It looks like at least three of them will start, but none of them are likely to be long-term answers.

Resurrecting this defense/team could take a while. Barring a coach of the year type job from Hafley and Duggan, Miami is more likely to be playing for a top five draft pick than a playoff appearance.  

Miami Dolphins Defensive Line

Defensive tackle is a spot where the Dolphins should be in decent shape. Zach Sieler has become an outstanding player over the last several years. He has been productive in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes over his eight seasons. From the fantasy perspective, he has been a rock.

Sieler had at least 55 combined stops in four straight years from 2021 to 2024. He missed no time in 2025, but was not healthy early in the year after being banged up in August. That led to a very slow start. He had 17 tackles and 9 assists over the first nine games. Sieler was a different player from week 10 through 18 when he combined for 21 stops, 5.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.

Sieler will work at the three-technique position, which is normally the most fantasy-friendly of the interior positions, because it draws fewer double teams. He reached double-digit sacks in 2023 and 2024. Considering how he finished last season, it might happen again.

Kenneth Grant was drafted to anchor the run defense at nose tackle in a 3-4. At 335 pounds, he is tough to uproot. The nose tackle in a 4-3 lines up a little differently, but has largely the same responsibilities, so last year's first-round pick should be fine in terms of fit. His production level, however, is a tough call.

Grant turned in modest numbers as a rookie. On 554 plays, he was 15-18-2. He was not uber-productive in the box score at Michigan either, 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. The expectation is that Grant will be fine in the new scheme. If he struggles, he is a talented player with good trade value.

Depth at tackle could become an issue. The team has a collection of young, inexperienced late-round draft picks. Jordan Phillips, Zeek Biggers, and Matthew Butler will compete to determine the pecking order behind the starters.  

The edge position will be at the top of the list when shopping for next year's groceries, but they might have one answer in place. Chop Robinson was a first-round pick by the team in 2024. His first two seasons have been quiet, though he does have 10 sacks between them. The reason for his slow start might be that he was in the wrong scheme, or at least the wrong situation.

The previous staff used Robinson as a pass rush specialist. He opened 2025 as the third man behind Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Robinson started some games after Phillips was shipped out, but he still played only 417 snaps on the season. With both of the players ahead of him gone, Robinson will now get a shot at the three-down role. He was a defensive end at Penn State, so putting his hand on the ground is not new. What remains to be seen is if he can hold up against the run. That was widely believed to be the issue that had previously limited his time. What we know for sure is that Robinson will have the opportunity for a breakout season.   

Josh Uche is penciled in as the other starter entering camp. He could face competition from David Ojabo and Clelin Ferrell. Uche was a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2020. He was an off-and-on starter for New England before bouncing around over the last couple of years. His claim to fame is a late-season run in 2022 that led to an 11.5-sack season. Unfortunately, his other five seasons have produced a total of 10.   

Clelin Farrell is the player most likely to push Uche for time. He was the fourth overall pick by the Raiders in 2019. With 24 tackles, 15 assists, and 4.5 sacks as a rookie, he looked like the future of the position in Las Vegas. The next step never happened. Ferrell has not reached 30 combined stops in a season since, and the 4.5 sacks remain his career high. Since leaving the Raiders in 2023, he's made stops in San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles with the Chargers, and back to the 49ers. He did manage 4 sacks last year, which is better than the 1 Uche recorded. Ferrell is not a long-term answer, but he might be a better band-aid than Uche.

Ojabo was the Ravens' second-round pick in 2022. He spent four years as a backup, recording 4 career sacks. The limited opportunity with Baltimore makes projecting him difficult. The first thing he has to do is earn a big enough role.  

• Edge Chop Robinson – Big opportunity as a three-down starter
• Edge Clelin Ferrell – Seat warmer with marginal potential
• Edge Josh Uche – Will be part of the rotation, but comes with no expectations
• Edge David Ojabo – The change of venue might help
• Edge Robert Beal Jr. – No impact expected
• DT Zach Sieler – Solid DT1
• DT Kenneth Grant – Worth a shot as depth with upside in start two leagues
• DT Jordan Phillips – Injury deep sleeper
• DT Zeek Biggers – Injury deep sleeper
• DT Matthew Butler – No impact expected

Miami Dolphins Linebackers