2022 Dolphins position preview: Breaking down DLs ahead of camp
Entering the first training camp under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins don’t have Brian Flores to rely on for their defense.
Flores, with his defensive background, was given a ton of credit for the team’s success defensively, but without him, they’ll turn to defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who is returning despite the change at head coach. Most of the same players on defense are also returning for 2022 and are ready to compete for their roles.
We’ve talked about quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and the offensive line, but now, we’re jumping over to the other side of the ball and breaking down the defensive lineman.
Roster locks: Christian Wilkins, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Raekwon Davis
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
These five players are some of the keys to this defense in the front seven. They each bring their own skill set that allows them to be one of the league’s top units.
Davis is the run-stuffer of the group, and he’s pretty good at his job despite his abysmal 36.1 grade against the run from Pro Football Focus. Ogbah provides a ton of pressure in his opportunities, recording 45 quarterback hits and 18 sacks in the last two years.
Wilkins and Sieler are the two big bodies who do a bit of everything. They can line up inside or outside and can be solid against both the run and the pass.
If all of these players are at their best, they can strike fear into opposing quarterbacks and offensive coordinators.
On the bubble: Adam Butler, John Jenkins
AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman
The two interior defensive linemen are going to be battling for roster spots. It may be with each other, or it could be with players at other positions, as the Dolphins try to make the numbers game work.
Jenkins played in just seven games last season, playing just 36% of the snaps. However, after Davis came back from injury in Week 5, Jenkins only saw the field for 17 snaps the rest of the season. He was mainly a healthy scratch.
Butler, on the other hand, played the most defensive snaps of his career (591 – 53%). He also tied his career lows in both tackles (17) and sacks (two). Releasing Butler could save Miami $4.15 million in 2022 which they can carry over to next year. Is it worth keeping him around if he’s not putting up the numbers that he did in New England? That’s the question.
By the end of the preseason, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both players, only one or neither make the team.
Unlikely to make the team: Owen Carney, Ben Stille, Jordan Williams, Benito Jones
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Carney, Stille and Williams are all undrafted rookies, while Jones spent 2021 on the team’s practice squad. They’ll all attempt to earn a spot on the roster, but with the veteran competition that they have at the position, it’s more likely that they’re fighting for practice squad spots.
