Where the Miami Dolphins stand on defense and how position and roster battles stack up
Now that the Dolphins have pretty much put their team together, a look at where they stand on defense:
DEFENSIVE LINE
▪ Under contract or team control (13): Davon Godchaux, Christian Wilkins, Shaq Lawson, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis, Curtis Weaver, Jason Strowbridge, Avery Moss, Durval Queiroz-Neto and undrafted rookies Benito Jones (Mississippi), Tyshun Render (Middle Tennessee State) and Ray Lima (Iowa State).
▪ What’s ahead: The lion’s share of the snaps assuredly will go to Godchaux, Wilkins, Lawson and Ogbah. And Davis — Miami’s pick at No. 56 — will get every chance to be the No. 3 tackle, though keep in mind that Ogbah can move inside on passing downs.
Among the others, Weaver (who was primarily a linebacker at Boise State but is being listed as a defensive end by the Dolphins) and Strowbridge could get early work, at least limited snaps, if they excel in camp. Like Ogbah, Strowbridge can move inside on passing downs.
And don’t overlook Sieler, who was highly disruptive in the Week 16 Bengals game, then played sparingly against New England. He will give Davis a competitive battle for the No. 3 tackle job.
Godchaux, Wilkins, Lawson, Ogbah and Davis are going to be on the team, and Strowbridge and Weaver very likely will, too. So that’s seven. Sieler — if he can build off that Cincinnati game and keep improving — could be an eighth.
As for the others, Moss needs a very strong preseason to stick; Queirez-Neto remains a developmental project; Jones has a chance to stick as a No. 4 defensive tackle if he beats out Sieler; and Render has an outside chance to make the 53. Remember, Render was the guy Bill Belichick went to scout, in the rain, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, instead of attending part of the NFL Combine.
LINEBACKER
▪ Under contract or team control (12): Jerome Baker, Kyle Van Noy, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Elandon Roberts, Raekwon McMillan, Andrew Van Ginkel, Vince Biegel, Sam Eguavoen, Trent Harris, Calvin Munson, James Crawford, Kylan Johnson.
▪ What’s ahead: Baker, Van Noy and McMillan are automatics, and Grugier-Hill, Roberts and Biegel will likely make it. Van Ginkel, the fifth-rounder in 2019, has a good chance to stick. So that’s seven.
Eguavoen and Harris are two of the more interesting bubble players; Harris made a strong case for himself with two strong games to end the season but needs to build on that with a strong preseason. Eguavoen played well when used more as a pass rusher late in the season.
Munson, Crawford and Johnson are long shots.
Baker and Van Noy should be on the field when Miami plays only two linebackers, with McMillan a potential third starter on run downs. When Miami plays four natural linebackers (and that won’t happen a lot), keep an eye on Grugier-Hill.
Though they have different strengths, the battle for playing time among Grugier-Hill, Roberts, McMillan (entering the last season of his contract) and edge players Biegel and Van Ginkel should be fascinating, with Eguavoen and Harris pushing for any kind of meaningful role if they’re on the team.
Remember that coach Brian Flores really likes both Grugier-Hill (who started 10 games for the Eagles in 2018 and six last season and is solid in pass coverage) and Roberts, whose starting assignments with New England dropped from 14 to 11 to three during the past three seasons.
Van Noy can play inside or outside; I would suspect he would play inside a lot, especially when Miami is in a 3-4.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
▪ Under contract or under team control (17): Safeties Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain, Brandon Jones, Adrian Colbert, Steven Parker, Clayton Fejedelem and Kavion Frazier and cornerbacks Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Nik Needham, Ken Webster, Jamal Perry (who changed his name from Jomal Wiltz), Noah Igbinoghene, Tae Hayes, Cordrea Tankersley, Ryan Lewis and Nate Brooks.
▪ What’s ahead: No position will be more competitive for roster spots.
At cornerback, Howard and Byron Jones will start, and Igbinoghene will try to beat out Needham and Perry for the nickel job. Though a safety by trade, Texas rookie Jones played well at times in a nickel role covering slot receivers last season and could be a factor here, though Texas coach Tom Herman told me he’s better-suited to be a deep safety.
For backup boundary jobs, Igbinoghene and Needham factor in, and don’t discount Hayes (who allowed only 3 of 16 passes thrown against him to be caught during his late-season cameo) and Webster and Lewis, who both had some decent moments before going on injured reserve.
Tankersley has not played in 19 months and faces an uphill climb to make the roster. Brooks is a long shot, and Perry (formerly Wiltz) would be at risk if he struggles in preseason.
Safety is even more congested, with several comparable players battling to back up likely starters Rowe and McCain. Jones, a third-rounder, will be on the team, and Fejedelem, a special teams ace in Cincinnati, seems likely to stick.
It’s difficult to justify keeping more than four safeties; one among Colbert, Frazier (the former Cowboy) and Parker might stick only if there’s an injury or if Miami ultimately decides to consider Texas rookie Jones a combo cornerback/safety. For now, he’s listed only as a safety.
SPECIALISTS
▪ Under contract or team control: Kicker Jason Sanders, punter Matt Haack and long snapper Blake Ferguson.
▪ What’s ahead: The Dolphins decided not to sign competition for Sanders and Haack, and last year’s long snapper, Taybor Pepper, was released after missing eight tackles on returns — a high number for a long snapper. The hope is Ferguson will become the next John Denney and play until he’s 93.
Coming tomorrow: A position by position look at the offense.
Here’s my Tuesday post with new information on the Miami Hurricanes’ plans for a college football season and other Canes notes.
Here’s part 2 of my in-depth 5-part series on the Marlins’ farm system, which is now ranked fourth in baseball by MLB.com.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 5:27 PM.
