How Dolphins’ defensive line looks, and one player with big upside who’s being pushed hard
If wide receiver is the Dolphins’ deepest position, say this for their defensive line:
At times in this training camp, the Dolphins have featured a second-team defensive front with two players — Christian Wilkins and Adam Butler — who would be starters for some teams.
Wilkins seems likely to end up back as a starter, ahead of Zach Sieler, but the Dolphins — if healthy — should have a strong top five of Emmanuel Ogbah, nose tackle Raekwon Davis, Wilkins, Sieler and Butler, the former Patriots player who has 15 sacks in four seasons.
And don’t discount John Jenkins — the veteran nose tackle who has made 28 NFL starts, including five for the Dolphins in 2019.
“The quality of depth in the room is great,” defensive line coach Austin Clark said.
So who will play the most?
“It’s a week-by-week thing,” Clark said. “They will all help us. All have a unique and different skill set. Raekwon’s length, Seiler little bit of everything, Butler is a fantastic pass rusher, Jenk a rock in the middle.”
Davis seems to have the highest ceiling in the group. Clark has pushed him hard, and Davis said “you’ll be in the game and you’ll be scared to get even a step wrong because you will run back to the sideline and he’ll get on your butt about it. So like with Coach Clark, it’s just like he wants everything to be perfect.”
That prodding comes from a good place; Clark sees potential for Davis — who was solid as a rookie 12-game starter — and believes he has the ability to “get a lot better. The thing that makes Raekwon special is he’s a hungry player and he wants to know every play. At end of practice, he says, ‘What’s one thing I can work on for the next day?’
The Dolphins allowed four-tenths of a yard per carry less against the run when Davis replaced the injured Davon Godchaux in the fifth game last season. Godchaux is now with the Patriots.
“He’s bought in all the way,” Clark said of Davis. “Physical guy, great length [at 6-7, 330 pounds]. I’m really fired up about him. He approaches the game the right way every day; he’s going to keep getting better. And he’s developing as a pass rusher also.”
He’s a different body type at nose tackle — taller than most.
“But where some may say leverage can make it harder, his length is a huge advantage for him,” Clark said. “Fundamentally, he’s so strong he’s able to stay low.”
Clark’s high-intensity coaching isn’t limited to Davis.
Wilkins said Clark is “very demanding and really cares about his players. He doesn’t want us to be good; he wants us to be great.”
The line’s success starts with Ogbah, who had a career-high nine sacks last season and is hoping to convince the Dolphins to give him a long-term contract.
“Ogbah is a pro,” Clark said. “His get-off and first step look even quicker than last year. Very smart player.”
The Dolphins decided to rest him in the preseason opener instead of risking injury.
Butler’s addition was critical because “our ability to roll guys in and out of the game is important,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said, noting how rushing the passer can take a toll on defensive linemen in the South Florida heat.
“I feel good about that group,” Flores said. “Adam, specifically, he’s tough, smart, loves to play, competitive and team-first. I think he fits in well with the group.”
Butler — who started 14 games in four years in New England, including four last year — seems content being part of a rotation as opposed to starting.
Butler has taken an active role trying to build chemistry among the linemen. As Davis put it: “Butler will say ‘Let’s do this.’ Like we go into the cafeteria during camp, ‘let’s eat together, let’s talk about the mess ups we did’ and stuff like that.’”
The Dolphins also tried to sign Lawrence Guy — the veteran Patriots end/tackle — but he opted to stay in New England, and Miami then brought back Jenkins, who spent last season in Chicago.
Flores called Jenkins, and according to Jenkins, told him: “‘Big John, I want you down here. I’m not going to tell you that you’ll start or anything but I want you to work.’... That’s what I needed to hear.”
The priority for this group — and why Jenkins could stick — remains becoming more stout against the run.
Even in going 10-6, the Dolphins allowed 4.5 yards per carry last season — tied for 13th worst in the league and the same average permitted by the 2019 team than went 5-11. The Dolphins relinquished 116 rushing yards per game in 2020, compared to 135 per game against the ‘19 Dolphins.
New linebacker Benardrick McKinney — a Pro Bowler for Houston in 2018 — will help a lot in that regard.
With Dolphins front seven starters in the game (minus Ogbah), the Bears ran for just 15 yards on seven carries in the first half against the Dolphins on Saturday. Miami’s run defense unraveled in the second half with third- and fringe second-teamers in the game.
“It’s tough to be a good defense, or the defense you want to be, or great, if you can’t stop the run,” Wilkins said. “We have to do that first. If you take care of that it takes care of a lot.”
Wilkins, who has been solid but not yet as impactful as some would have hoped, is circumspect about needing to fight to keep his starting job.
“The biggest thing for me,” he said, “is to just make the most of my snaps. We’ve got a really good group of guys who care about each other and want us all to succeed. We’re not focused on counting the snaps; we’re focused on making the snaps count.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 1:12 PM.
