Where Dolphins stand, by position, on defense after the draft. Who’s safe and who’s not
A look at where the Dolphins stand on defense, by position, after the draft:
DEFENSIVE LINE
▪ On the team: Emmanuel Ogbah, Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler.
▪ Very likely on the team: Adam Butler, who’s $3.4 million salary is nonguaranteed and whose $4.1 million cap hit entirely disappears if he’s cut. He’s a helpful rotation player, and the fact the Dolphins didn’t cut him — and don’t need the cap space — suggests he will be on the team.
▪ On the bubble: John Jenkins. The veteran defensive tackle, whose $1.1 million salary isn’t guaranteed, had 16 tackles in seven games in 2021, including two starts, while logging 176 defensive snaps.
▪ Facing uphill climbs: Four undrafted rookie free agents — UM’s Deandre Johnson, Nebraska’s Ben Stille, Illinois’ Andre Carney and Virginia Tech’s Jordan Williams — plus third-year defensive tackle Benito Jones and veteran Daeshon Hall.
Hall had nine tackles and 1.5 sacks in 13 career games for Carolina and Philadelphia but hasn’t played in the league since 2019.
Jones played 48 defensive snaps for Miami as a rookie in 2020 but spent all of last season on the Dolphins’ practice squad.
Johnson, who attended Miami Southridge High, had 26 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in his one season at Miami after producing 10 sacks in four years at Tennessee.
Stille and Carney (Miami Central) both had 14 career sacks at their Big 10 schools.
Williams played well as a part-time starter for Virginia Tech. Realistically, they’re competing for two or three practice squad jobs, though it’s possible one could crack the 53 with an impressive camp and preseason.
▪ Comment: The top five — Ogbah, Wilkins, Davis, Sieler and Butler — are in place. The sixth spot could be filled by one of the aforementioned players or a veteran free agent; agent Drew Rosenhaus said on his weekly WSVN-Fox 7 segment this week that he has spoken to the Dolphins about veteran defensive end Carlos Dunlap (8.5 sacks for Seattle in 2021) and 2018 Pro Bowler Akiem Hicks, who missed eight games with injuries last season but started the nine games that he played for Chicago.
LINEBACKER
▪ Who’s on the team: Jerome Baker, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Elandon Roberts, rookie third-rounder Channing Tindall.
▪ Who’s likely on the team: Duke Riley and Brennan Scarlett. The risk for Scarlett would be if Miami signs a veteran edge player who can play outside linebacker.
▪ On the bubble: Rookie Cameron Goode, Sam Eguavoen and Calvin Munson.
The Dolphins love Goode’s upside as a pass rusher, but as a seventh-rounder, he will need to impress at least somewhat in August to avoid an attempt to move him to the practice squad.
The drafting of Tindall puts Eguavoen more at risk; both players are skilled pass rushers. Munson’s chances of sticking also took a hit with the drafting of Tindall.
▪ Long shot: Darius Hodge, an undrafted former Marshall player who played six snaps in four games as a rookie for the Bengals last season.
▪ Comment: The question in camp will be whether Tindall shows enough to surpass Riley as the team’s No. 3 inside linebacker early in the season. Elandon Roberts, with his experience and skill against the run, figures to start alongside Baker.
Everyone knows about Tindall’s speed and ability to rush the quarterback; the question will be whether Dolphins coaches believe he’s reliable enough yet to initially play him ahead of Riley, whose speed also is an asset.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
▪ Who’s on the team: Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Nik Needham, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones.
▪ Who’s likely to stick: Eric Rowe, Clayton Fejedelem, Noah Igbinoghene and Keion Crossen.
Rowe’s nonguaranteed $2.5 million salary is reasonable, but his cap hit drops from $5.1 million to $525,000 if he’s cut. The fact he survived to May — and the fact the Dolphins haven’t added a veteran No. 3 safety — suggests he’s likely safe.
Fejedelem reworked his contract, lowering his salary from $2.5 million salary to $1.7 million (of which $1 million is guaranteed) and his cap hit from $2.8 million to $2 million if he’s cut.
So he’s likely on the team after logging 86 percent of the Dolphins’ special teams snaps last season. He played just 15 and 16 defensive snaps in his two seasons with the Dolphins.
Crossen played just 2 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps last season but was signed for his special teams skills. He’s guaranteed $3 million this season, and that entire amount would be on Miami’s cap in the highly unlikely event that he’s cut. So barring an injury, he’s on the team.
Igbinoghene needs to perform at some point, but his first-round draft status and his contract should buy him another year. His $1.6 million salary is guaranteed, and his cap hit rises from $3.1 million to $4.7 million if he’s cut.
He logged just 78 defensive snaps last season, after playing 287 as a rookie.
▪ Competing for potentially a job or two: A crowded group including three rookies (Oregon safety Verone McKinley III, Louisiana Tech safety Elijah Hamilton and Texas A&M Commerce cornerback Kader Kohou), plus veteran cornebacks Quincy Wilson, Javaris Davis, Trill Williams and D’Angelo Ross and safeties Elijah Campbell and Sheldrick Redwine.
Williams, the undrafted cornerback from Syracuse, won a job on the 53 last season but played in only one game and logged 22 defensive snaps for the season. Davis, who flashed in camp last summer, has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
Wilson, the Indianapolis former second-round pick out of UF, has two interceptions in 32 games and 11 starts for the Colts and Jets. He spent last season on injured reserve for the Giants. His experience and talent give him a real shot.
Ross, undrafted out of New Mexico, spent 2019 on Patriots’ injured reserve, 2020 on their practice squad, and appeared in three games for New England last season with one start.
Redwine and Campbell are safeties with special teams value; Campbell appeared in seven games for the Dolphins last season, Redwine four.
Among the three rookies, McKinley has the most impressive resume on paper, with 11 interceptions at Oregon, including six last season (which tied for the most in the nation). But he went undrafted primarily because of size (5-11) and a mediocre 40 time (4.65).
The Dolphins gave $130,000 guaranteed to Kedou, a Division II cornerback prospect, and the defensive coaching staff likes him.
SPECIALISTS
▪ Who’s on the team: kicker Jason Sanders and long snapper Blake Ferguson.
▪ Who’s more likely than not: punter Thomas Morstead.
▪ Odds against: FIU punter Tommy Heatherly.
▪ Comment: Morstead’s 46.6 yards per punt average is seventh best in NFL history and he was very good (47.2) in seven games apiece for the Jets and Falcons last season. But if Morstead struggles in camp and Heatherly is great, Morstead could be at risk; $500,000 of his $1 million salary is guaranteed.
Sanders had a disappointing 2021 season, hitting 23 of 31 field goals after nailing 36 of 39 the previous season.
The big difference: He was just 2 for 6 on field goals of 50 yards or more last season, after nailing 8 of 9 of those attempts in 2020.
Sanders’ entire $2.8 million salary is guaranteed, and his $3.1 million cap hit would rise to $5.6 million if he’s cut. So he’ll be on the team, barring an August fiasco.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 1:03 PM.
