The Dolphins defensive line has changed considerably from last year. Stud defensive tackle Christian Wilkins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, the Dolphins were tasked with fulfilling that role at defensive tackle. At defensive tackle they rostered Zach Sieler, Calais Campbell, Da’Shawn Hand, Brandon Pili, and Benito Jones. 3 of these names are newcomers to the Dolphins from last year; Campbell, Pili, and Jones all spent time on different squads last year. The Miami Dolphins made a financial decision this offseason choosing to go the depth route instead of paying Christian Wilkins, and we will see if that decision works out this year.
The defensive ends/outside linebackers, or edge defenders as many say, went through slight turnover from the previous year. The Dolphins did not lose too much production, but lost talented player Andrew Van Ginkel to the Minnesota Vikings. The big addition for the Dolphins was rookie Chop Robinson, Miami’s first round pick out of Penn State. Chop Robinson was considered one of the most talented defenders in the 2024 NFL draft, and might have to play a large role in the early part of the season. Bradley Chubb remains on the PUP list, he had a monster season for the Dolphins last year. Depth piece Cameron Goode also will start the season on the PUP list. Rounding out the group will be star Jaelan Phillips, Emmanuel Ogbah, rookie Mo Kamara, and newcomer Quinton Bell.
Kamara was considered a steal as a 5th round draft pick for the Dolphins, he was very productive during his playing time this preseason. Quinton Bell is one of the newcomers who proved himself this preseason, he has bounced around the league spending time with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. He played his college ball at Prairie View A&M, and was brought into the league primarily based on his athletic traits. It is possible he sees time with Bradley Chubb out early in the season, and possibly Jaelan Phillips not touching the field the first week or two. It is also worth noting undrafted free agent rookie Grayson Murphy is out for the season, after looking like a potential UDFA steal.
The linebacker unit is possibly the most improved unit on this Miami Dolphins team. The group that made the roster is Jordyn Brooks, David Long Jr, Channing Tindall, Duke Riley, and Anthony Walker Jr. The 2 newcomers are Brooks and Walker Jr, both arriving from free agency. Brooks signed a 3 year $30mil deal, Walker Jr signed a one year $2mil deal. The Brooks deal was outstanding value for the Dolphins, as they were paying similar money to former linebacker Jerome Baker. Brooks is considered a better football player, so the move to release Baker and bring in Brooks was a job well done. Brooks comes over from Seattle and was considered one of the top linebackers in the free agent class. If there was one large signing this offseason for the Dolphins, it was Brooks.
Walker Jr on the other hand has had a long career with stops at Indianapolis and in Cleveland. He was brought in for cheap to be great depth for the Dolphins, he can cover very well especially for a 3rd linebacker. Moving onto the returning guys, David Long Jr should be a starter and tone setter for the Dolphins defense. He was brought in from Tennessee a year ago and is known for his run defense and thumping play style. Long Jr lived in the backfield for Miami a year ago, and with a star linebacker next to him it is possible he has an even better season in 2024. Duke Riley has been with the team for a while and is a special teams ace, while Channing Tindall showed his improvement in preseason from his previous seasons where he could not earn playing time.
The cornerbacks rostered six: Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Kader Kohou, Ethan Bonner, Siran Neal, and Storm Duck. Ramsey is an alpha cornerback in the NFL, and he will have a new cornerback with him in Kendall Fuller. Fuller was brought in on a cheaper deal than Xavien Howard, who had struggles staying on the field. Howard’s play was also starting to noticeably decline, so the Dolphins made another sneaky good decision swapping Howard for Fuller. Kendall Fuller has been a very good starter for the Commanders the past four seasons, and before that the Kansas City Chiefs. Fuller played in Superbowl LIV and had the game clinching interception for the Chiefs. Kohou is a returner and will play in the slot, he has been great for the Dolphins in the pass and run game the past two years.
Bonner has been one of the most improved players on the team, the former Stanford Cardinal was making plays all preseason. Siran Neal is coming over from the Buffalo Bills and is a special teams ace, but that doesn’t mean he cannot play corner when called on. In the preseason he was making plays on the ball. That has been a theme for all Dolphins corners this offseason, clearly they are being coached very well on the back end. Lastly, fan favorite Storm Duck was outstanding in the preseason, being one of the best players in the secondary this preseason according to PFF’s grading scale. One guy worth mentioning is Cam Smith who is beginning the year on IR. Smith was Miami’s 2nd round pick in 2023, he looked like he was making strides and playing with more confidence before getting injured in the preseason. The injury doesn’t look serious, he should be on the roster sooner than later.
The safeties room went through a bit of an overhaul this offseason. The four names that are currently rostered are Jevon Holland, Jordan Poyer, Marcus Maye, and Elijah Campbell. Holland is an up and coming superstar to the Dolphins secondary, he has been one of the most consistently great safeties in the NFL for 3 years. Holland has a new teammate that will be starting next to him in Jordan Poyer. Dolphins fans are very familiar with Jordan Poyer, he has been a playmaker for the Buffalo Bills since 2017. He brings over 24 career interceptions and 10 years of NFL experience. Marcus Maye and Elijah Campbell are the 2 current depth pieces behind Holland and Poyer. Maye is a veteran safety and former Florida Gator; Elijah Campbell has been with the Dolphins since 2020 and makes his money with his special teams play. Both Maye and Campbell spent their previous stop at the division rival New York Jets. 6th round rookie Pat McMorris had an excellent preseason but will start the season on IR.
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