If you read my previous two articles on Miami you could see that I felt that they were a very good offensive team that perhaps needed some help defensively. Although the Dolphins were a stout defensive team this past season, they still have some room to improve, and there are still some question marks regarding their overall capabilities on that side of the ball. The Dolphins’ major defensive statistics/metrics from this past 2024 season can be found below.
Miami Dolphins 2024 Major Defensive Statistics/Metrics
10th in points per game allowed
4th in yards per game allowed
17th in overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus
As you can see from the first two of those metrics which were the objective statistical metrics, the Dolphins were an above average to a well above average defensive team this past season. However, Pro Football Focus graded Miami as a slightly below average overall defensive team this past season, 17th out of 32 in that regard. Miami was able to be stout defensively despite having a defensive coordinator in his first season on the job with the Dolphins and only in his second season in totality as a defensive coordinator on any level. Dolphins’ defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver did such a strong job this past season that he even warranted head coaching interest around the NFL. He, however, decided to stay on board with the Dolphins and the Miami organization should be optimistic that the Dolphins’ defense can improve even more so with him going into year 2 on the job. Miami was able to rank in the top ten in terms of points allowed and in the top five in terms of yards allowed despite the Dolphins’ offense this past season really underwhelming. If you read my previous post draft offensive outlook of the Dolphins, you could see that Miami ranked below average across the board offensively this past season. Miami’s offense consistently put the Dolphins’ defense in undesirable spots and still Miami’s defense finished as a borderline elite unit in terms of points and yards allowed. Miami on the offensive side of the ball the last time Tagovailoa was fully healthy for the season was an elite top 2 scoring offense. If Miami on offense was anything close to that last season which they weren’t as they ranked 22nd in points scored, then the Dolphins would have almost certainly ranked higher if not much higher in terms of points and yards allowed on defense. The fact that the Dolphins were statistically a borderline elite defensive team this past season despite the offense really stagnating and Miami’s defensive coordinator just being in his first season should make the organization and the fanbase feel incredibly optimistic. There are concerns primarily from a personnel standpoint heading into next season, however, regarding the Dolphins’ defense. I have conducted an evaluation of the Dolphins’ defensive personnel headed into next season unit by unit. I have included the defense grade that each player was assigned by Pro Football Focus over the course of the 2024 season, as well as my own subjective grade of each player that indicates how strong I feel they are in totality outside of just the 2024 season. Starting with the front seven of the team in the 2024 season and headed into the 2025 season below.
Miami Dolphins’ 2024 Front Seven
Interior Defensive Lineman
DL – Zach Sieler – (12/146) defense grade in 2024 over 749 snaps, B+ to A-
DL – Calais Campbell – (7/146) defense grade in 2024 over 616 snaps, B+ to A-
DL – Da’Shawn Hand – (58/146) defense grade in 2024 over 564 snaps, B+
DL – Benito Jones – (105/146) defense grade in 2024 over 481 snaps, C
DL – Brandon Pili – (98/146) defense grade in 2024 over 69 snaps, C
DL – Neil Farrell Jr – (146/146) defense grade in 2024 over 65 snaps, D+
DL – Matt Dickerson – (40/146) defense grade in 2024 over 15 snaps, C to C-
Edge Defenders
ED – Emmanuel Ogbah – (87/135) defense grade in 2024 over 734 snaps, C+
ED – Chop Robinson – (40/135) defense grade in 2024 over 565 snaps, B- so far as ’24 1st rd
ED – Tyus Bowser – (120/135) defense grade in 2024 over 276 snaps, C+ to B-
ED – Quinton Bell – (62/135) defense grade in 2024 over 258 snaps, C+
ED – Jaelan Phillips – (56/135) defense grade in 2024 over 134 snaps, B+
ED – Cameron Goode – (105/135) defense grade in 2024 over 12 snaps, C to C+
ED – Mohamed Kamara – (126/135) defense grade in 2024 over 26 snaps, D+
Linebackers
LB – Jordyn Brooks – (23/92) defense grade in 2024 over 1039 snaps, C+
LB – Anthony Walker Jr – (85/92) defense grade in 2024 over 516 snaps, C+ to B-
LB – David Long Jr – (92/92) defense grade in 2024 over 352 snaps, B-
LB – Tyrel Dodson – (38/92) defense grade in 2024 over 854 snaps, B
LB – Duke Riley – (90/92) defense grade in 2024 over 43 snaps, C+ to B-
Miami Dolphins Key Front Seven Statistics/Metrics 2024 Season
20th in pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus
7th in run defense grade according to Pro Football Focus
9th in rushing yards per game allowed according to Pro Football Focus
26th in sacks
As you can see from this last set of data the Dolphins had a very stout top 10 caliber run defense but struggled to consistently rush the passer. If you look at personnel the Dolphins had in their front seven this past season, there were bright spots but more concerns. Zach Sieler, Calais Campbell, and Da’Shawn Hand formed a very formidable defensive line trio but the rest of the personnel in the front seven performed at an average to a mediocre rate this past season. Edge defenders Emmauel Ogbah and Tyus Bowser struggle with consistency despite having a very high ceiling and both underperformed this past season. Chop Robinson, as an edge defender who was a first round pick headed into last season, had a strong rookie season but I would imagine was not in peak form as of yet. Jaelan Phillips, a former first round pick who has lived up to the billing when on the field has struggled to stay healthy, however. As Phillps suffered a season ending injury for the second season in a row playing less than 200 snaps this past season. Bradley Chubb, a two-time pro bowler as an edge defender, also missed all of last season due to injury as well. Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr had a down year this past season despite being otherwise very productive, while the same could be said for linebackers David Long Jr and Duke Riley. The Dolphins were very talented in the front seven this past season and still produced at a solid rate. However, there is a ton of room for improvement as many players who are otherwise very productive underperformed this past season, a few standouts in Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb struggled with injuries, and rookie Chop Robinson has yet to come into his own either.
Headed into next season, the Dolphins front seven has changed in terms of personnel and hopefully for Miami’s sake will be in line to improve. Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand, who were two of the bright spots for the Dolphins’ front seven this past season, have departed the team. While Emmanuel Ogbah, Duke Riley, Anthony Walker Jr, and David Long Jr who as stated previously have a very high ceiling but tend to struggle with consistency including down years this past season, have also all left the team. However, Miami will get standouts Bradley Chubb Jr and Jaelan Phillips back from injury while also seeing rookie standout Chop Robinson head into year 2 in the NFL. Miami has added several pieces to their front seven in the offseason but for the most part they are all just rotational/backup players who will provide solid depth for the team. The only notable piece Miami has added in the offseason cycle to their front seven is 2025 first round pick Kenneth Grant who is currently in line to start on the defensive front. Miami’s projected 2025 front seven lineup can be found below.
Miami Dolphins 2025 Projected Starting Front Seven
LDE – Kenneth Grant – 2025 1st round pick
NT – Benito Jones – C
RDE – Zach Sieler – B+ to A-
WLB – Jaelan Phillips – B+
LILB – Tyrel Dodson – B to B+
RILB – Jordyn Brooks – B-
SLB – Bradley Chubb – B+
Miami Dolphins 2025 Projected Reserve Front Seven
ED – Matt Dickerson – C
NT – Jordan Phillips – 2025 5th round pick
ED – Ben Stille – D+ to C-
ED – Chop Robinson – B
LB – K.J Britt – C to C+
RILB – Willie Gay – C+ to B-
SLB – Quinton Bell – C+ to B-
ED – Matthew Butler – C
NT – Zeek Biggers – 2025 7th round pick
ED – Alex Huntley – UDFA 2025
LB – Mohamed Kamara – D+
LB – Channing Tindall – C+ to B-
LB – DeQuan Jackson – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
LB – Cameron Goode – C+ to B-
LB – Derrick McLendon – 0 career snaps, UDFA 2024
LB – Eugene Asante – UDFA 2025
LB – Grayson Murphy – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
As you can see from the above the Dolphins projected 2025 starting front seven looks very strong as of now as 5 of the 7 spots are filled in by high caliber players. The remaining two starting spots remain a concern however but young high draft picks could fill it adequately. 2025 first round pick Kenneth Grant is in line to fill one of the two spots but it remains to be seen how strong he will look as a rookie in the NFL. Although he is currently not listed as a starter, I would imagine that 2024 first rounder Chop Robinson who had a strong rookie season will eventually transition to a starting role as well. So, in terms of a starting front seven the Dolphins have five of the players set and the remaining two starting roles are in line to be filled by first rounders who have a ton of potential. The Dolphins are pretty deep from a front seven standpoint as well as they have five players who I graded to be in at least the C+ range currently listed as reserves. So, the Dolphins have a handful of players off the bench capable of giving them strong production. The Dolphins will likely have a solid front seven next season but I question if it can be anything more than that. As in the starting lineup, Jordyn Brooks has been known to struggle with consistency, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are coming off major injuries, while two of the remaining spots are a big concern as well. As it is unknown how effective Kenneth Grant and Chop Robinson will be in those two spots although both are first round picks, as both players are perhaps just too young at this point. From a reserve standpoint in the front seven the Dolphins have several potentially solid players but I question if they have any standouts in line to come off the bench. I have conducted a similar analysis of the team’s secondary which can be found below as well.
Miami Dolphins 2024 Secondary
Cornerbacks
CB – Jalen Ramsey – (9/128) defense grade in 2024 over 1027 snaps, A
CB – Kader Kohou – (59/128) defense grade in 2024 over 708 snaps, C+ to B-
CB – Kendall Fuller – (54/128) defense grade in 2024 over 556 snaps, B+ to A-
CB – Storm Duck – (100/128) defense grade in 2024 over 359 snaps, C
CB – Cam Smith – (128/128) defense grade in 2024 over 133 snaps, C+ to B-
CB – Siran Neal – (106/128) defense grade in 2024 over 59 snaps, C+
CB – Ethan Bonner – (127/128) defense grade in 2024 over 16 snaps, C
CB – Nik Needham – only 1 snap in 2024, C to C+
Safeties
S – Jordan Poyer – (62/104) defense grade in 2024 over 964 snaps, B+
S – Jevon Holland – (58/104) defense grade in 2024 over 854 snaps, B+
S – Marcus Maye – (22/104) defense grade in 2024 over 405 snaps, B to B+
S – Elijah Campbell – (104/104) defense grade in 2024 over 77 snaps, C
S – Patrick McMorris – only 9 career snaps as 2024 6th round rookie
Miami Dolphins 2024 Key Secondary Statistics/Metrics
9th in passing yards per game allowed
25th in coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus
As you can see from the final set of data the Dolphins allowed the 9th fewest passing yards in the NFL this past season despite the Dolphins having one of the weakest pass rushes. Pro Football Focus only graded Miami 25th in terms of overall coverage grade but Miami’s secondary in terms of objective measures and raw talent was actually pretty stout. Jalen Ramsey graded as elite amongst corners while Kendall Fuller also graded in the above average range. Kader Kohou at cornerback was also solid for Miami this past season as he also graded in the above average range. At safety the Dolphins also had three very talented players in Poyer, Holland, and Maye who I all evaluated to be in the B+ range in terms of overall capabilities. Poyer and Holland had relative down years but Marcus Maye in a reserve role played very well for the team. Heading into next season the Dolphins’ secondary is a big concern as many of the primary players from this past season are no longer on the team as of now or are about to leave the team soon. One of the two Dolphins’ starting safeties from 2024 in Jevon Holland has departed the team to the New York Giants. While Jordan Poyer and Marcus Maye both remain unsigned free agents as of now. Cornerback Kendall Fuller, who was one of the team’s primary corners last season, also remains an unsigned free agent as of now. While superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey is currently on the trade block with a trade being almost imminent out of Miami with regards to Ramsey. Given all that the Dolphins have a ton of concerns in the back end of their defense. All three of the team’s safeties who played substantial snaps in 2024 are no longer on the team as of now. One of the team’s three primary corners in Kendall Fuller also is no longer on the team, while another one of the team’s primary corners in Jalen Ramsey is likely to leave the team soon. All of the aforementioned unsigned players outside of Jevon Holland are currently free agents, so one or more of them could certainly still rejoin the team. While it is likely that Ramsey is eventually traded, he could still stay in Miami given the Dolphins’ needs on the back end of their defense. But as of now the Dolphins have holes in their secondary and are hoping that certain players can fill the voids. The team has signed two new safeties this offseason cycle in Ashtyn Davis from the Jets and Ifeatu Melifonwu from the Lions. Davis, a former 3rd round pick in 2020, got off to a rocky start to his career but has really gotten his act together the past two seasons. In his first two seasons Davis graded as below average and then barely played in the third season. Whereas Davis in the last two seasons, although it has been in a smaller sample size of snaps, has graded in the above average to well above average range amongst qualified safeties in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus. Given his high draft standing and his strong play in the past two seasons, Miami is optimistic he can fill the void at safety and I believe that he will fill that void. At the other safety spot, Ifeatu Melifonwu was also a former 3rd round pick in recent memory and has also struggled with consistency despite showing a very high ceiling. Melifonwu in his first two seasons graded in the below average range but then in year 3 graded as one of the best safeties in the NFL albeit in a smaller sample of snaps. Melifonwu, this past 2024 season graded exactly average in terms of an overall defense grade as well. The Dolphins are optimistic that both those players who were drafted pretty high recently, who both got off to rocky starts in their careers, but who have both shown a very high ceiling since then, can both come into their own being thrown into a starting safety role for Miami. Jordan Poyer and Marcus Maye both still remain free agents and Miami certainly could still bring back either or both of those players. At cornerback, Kendall Fuller remains a free agent and he still could certainly resign but as of now he is not on the roster. Jalen Ramsey could very well be traded but as of now he is still on the roster. As of now the team will rely upon Kader Kohou, who has shown he is capable thus far in his career and who was solid last season as well, to carry more of the load in the backend of the defense. In place of Fuller, who as of now is no longer on team, the team is hoping that someone can step up in place of him. Someone such as 2023 second round pick Cam Smith who has shown he is very capable but who has had his ups and downs in limited NFL action as such a high draft pick. Cam Smith in his 2023 rookie season played only 22 snaps but graded (27/133) in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus. Smith really struggled this past season however, grading amongst the worst corners in the NFL in 133 snaps. But given his very high draft standing and his strong rookie season albeit in very limited snaps, there is reason to believe that he can become a very good player on the NFL level and fill the void left by Kendall Fuller at cornerback. The team has also signed veteran Artie Burns to contribute to the backend of the defense as well. Burns, who was a first rounder in the 2016 draft has shown he was worthy of being selected that high although having his struggles. Although it was in just 51 snaps this past season, Burns graded 1st among all cornerbacks in the 2024 season in terms of defense grade. While grading above average among all qualified cornerbacks in that department in five of his remaining seven seasons as well. The projected 2025 secondary lineup for the Dolphins can be found below.
Projected Dolphins 2025 Secondary Starters
LCB – Storm Duck – C
SS – Ifeatu Melifonwu – C+ to B-
S – Ashtyn Davis – C+ to B-
RCB – Jalen Ramsey – A
NB – Kader Kohou – C+ to B-
Projected Dolphins 2025 Secondary Reserves
CB – Cam Smith – C+ to B-
S – Dante Trader Jr – 2025 5th round pick
S – Elijah Campbell – C to C+
CB/S – Jason Marshall Jr – 2025 5th round pick
CB – Artie Burns – B-
CB – Isaiah Johnson – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
S – Patrick McMorris – 9 career snaps
S – Jordan Colbert – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
CB – Ethan Bonner – C+
CB – Kendall Sheffield – C
S – John Saunders – UDFA 2025
CB – Ryan Cooper – UDFA 2024, 0 career snaps
CB – Ethan Robinson – UDFA 2025
The Dolphins will be relying upon former high draft picks who have shown they are capable throughout the years to step their game up in the back end of the defense. Players such as Artie Burns, Cam Smith, Ashtyn Davis, and Ifeatu Melifonwu. It remains to be seen if superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey will remain on the team and it remains to be seen if Miami will resign some of the secondary players from a season ago who currently are free agents. It would perhaps behoove Miami to resign at least one of those players as the current starters for the Dolphins on the back end have been far too inconsistent and are not proven starters. It would also be smart to resign at least one of those players because Miami lacks secondary depth and resigning one of those players would address that issue as well.
Overall, the Dolphins were a top 10 scoring defense and a top 5 yardage defense this past season, a borderline elite defense in 2024. This was despite the Dolphins’ offense being subpar in general and putting the defense in tough spots. This was despite Miami’s defensive coordinator being in just his first year in the position with the Dolphins as well. The secondary is a concern for the Dolphins however as the team is far too unproven and has far too many question marks on the backend of their defense as of now. If Miami’s secondary can hold up, the Dolphins could be a top 5 caliber elite defense next season.
