So much of the conversation about the future of the Miami Dolphins revolves around Tua Tagovailoa and the offense, but this team's early success came from the stellar play of their defense. Josh Boyer's (and Flo's) squad improved from the worst scoring defense in the NFL (30.9 ppg) to sixth (21.1 ppg). So, how did they do it? Chris Grier spent an exorbitant amount of money building up this side of the ball through free agency. They are now in the advantageous position of returning ten of their eleven starters on defense. With the cap shrinking for the 2021 season, they won't have a ton of money (they are projected to have just 25 million in cap space) to spend improving the defense. Though, a couple small-scale signings could go a long way towards adding depth in a few key positions. What follows is a break down, by position group, of the defense and what we can expect moving forward.
Key
Hurries: The Quarterback threw the ball earlier than intended or was flushed out of the pocket.
QKD: The quarterback was knocked down after the ball was released.
Solo: Solo Tackle Ast: Assisted Tackle
PFF: The final grade PFF gave for this player's 2020 season. (0-100)
Mtckl%: Missed tackle rate.
PD: Passes Defended by this player.
FF: Forced Fumble
TFL: Tackle for a loss
|Interior Defensive Lineman|
Returning Reserve Players: Benito Jones ($780k), Durval Neto ($780k)
Free Agents: Davon Godchaux (UFA)
Like in all positions, the Dolphins love having positional versatility with their defensive linemen. Sieler, Wilkins, and Davis lineup all over the defensive line. Davis is most often over the center or shading his left or right (0 or 1 tech), while Wilkins and Sieler were typically over the guard or shading the tackle (2, 3, or 4/4i tech). It was quite rare for any of them to lineup outside of either offensive tackle (5+ tech). Although Christian Wilkins did grab his first career pick from dropping into coverage, this too was quite rare for any of them.
Great overview of defensive line technique designations.
*2020 Season* | Def Snaps | Solo | Ast | TFL | Hurries | QKD | Sacks | PD | FF | Mtckl % | PFF |
Christian Wilkins | 637 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1.5 | 5 | 0 | 2.1 | 69 |
Zach Sieler | 532 | 30 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 | 69 |
Raekwon Davis | 538 | 19 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 71 |
*2021 Figures* | Age | Cap Hit | % of Cap | Final year of deal |
Christian Wilkins | 25 | $4.2 million | 2.2 | 2022 |
Zach Sieler | 25 | $2.5 million | 1.3 | 2023 |
Raekwon Davis | 23 | $1.2 million | 0.68 | 2023 |
Christian Wilkins
I want to start this off by saying how much I love Christian Wilkins. I love his enthusiasm, the Power Ranger celebration, and his overall personality. He has been a solid player on the defensive line for Miami, but the front office needs to see more out of him in year three to justify him being a #13 overall selection. I believe he can make that jump, lineman (both offensive and defensive) usually take some time in the NFL to learn their craft. But, at his current level of play I wouldn't expect Miami to pick up his fifth year option. With that out of the way, Wilkins had a steady year. He played well against the run, remained healthy (except for COVID), and got his first career interception. We just aren't seeing a ton of splash plays as a pass-rusher or penetrator. There is nothing wrong with that, but it can't be what Miami was expecting when they drafted him at #13 (ahead of Brian Burns, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence, and Montez Sweat in the first round).
Zach Sieler
Sieler is a great example of fantastic coaching and scouting from Flo, his staff, and the entire Miami Dolphins personnel department. Sieler was a 7th round pick from Ferris State in 2018 (by the Ravens). When the Ravens waived Sieler in 2019, he was claimed by the Dolphins. Sieler was a big part of their 2019 turnaround and made several splash plays down the stretch. When he came out in 2020 and showed it was no fluke, Chris Grier signed him to a modest, team-friendly extension through 2023. Sieler is their most effective pass-rusher on the interior and has a nose for the ball. His 11 TFL ranked #1 on the team and his 3.5 sacks were #6 (just behind Shaq Lawson who is being paid about 5 times as much). Championship teams are built by unearthing gems like Sieler and locking them up with team-friendly deals.
Raekwon Davis
Another great find by Miami's scouting department. Davis was their most effective run defender on the interior defensive line and was unusually productive for a rookie. Even the analytics community is pretty high on what Raekwon Davis has been able to do. Per PFF, he graded out as the #1 rookie interior defensive lineman with a minimum of 300 snaps (ahead of Javon Kinlaw and Derrick Brown). Now, you wont mistake Davis for a major pass-rushing threat anytime soon but he is very steady against the run and has a ton of room to grow. He doesn't have the typical body type for a nose tackle (at 6'7), but he did a really good job playing the 0 technique this season. I'm not sure that his future will be at that nose tackle spot and I would like to see him get more snaps over the guard and tackle. If Miami can grab a more traditional nose and move him out to a 3 tech, they could have one of the best run-stuffing defensive lines in the NFL.
|Free Agency|
For most of these breakdowns, I entertain the idea of large FA acquisitions. Partly because it's fun and partly because in some instances there's an argument to be made for upgrading the position. If I had to bet real money on one group not adding an impact FA, it would be the interior defensive line. They've done some impressive work and have a really good rotation here. Even Ogbah occasionally bumps inside for some snaps. They're not getting a ton of pass rush from their interior players, but that's not how this defense is intended to work. Here is a look at some interesting free agent options and I'll pick a few scenarios to look at.
*2020 Season* | Def Snaps | Solo | Ast | TFL | Hurries | QKD | Sacks | PD | FF | Mtckl % | PFF |
Leonard Williams | 802 | 29 | 28 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 11.5 | 1 | 0 | 3.4 | 79.8 |
Shelby Harris | 441 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2.5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 88.3 |
Ndamukung Suh | 786 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10.2 | 62 |
Johnathan Hankins | 665 | 27 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14.3 | 61.6 |
Davon Godchaux (2019) | 717 | 33 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 | 64.2 |
Age | 20' Team | Est. Market Value | |
Leonard Williams | 26 | Giants | $14-16 million/yr |
Shelby Harris | 29 | Broncos | $10-12 million/yr |
Ndamukung Suh | 34 | Buccaneers | $4-6 million/yr |
Johnathan Hankins | 28 | Raiders | $6-8 million/yr |
Davon Godchaux | 26 | Dolphins | $3-5 million/yr |
Leonard Williams
This is most likely not going to happen.. but, man would he be an upgrade. Williams is a legit pro bowl talent (one of the many egregious snubs this season) hitting the market at just 26 years of age. He has the skill and versatility to play all over the defensive line and would instantly become their best defensive lineman. It wont happen, but a man can dream.
4 years 65 million dollars
Ndamukung Suh
Yep, that Ndamukung Suh. Another situation that is so unlikely to play out, but if you think about it, makes a little sense. His history with the City of Miami precludes this from being very realistic, but he reportedly does still have a good relationship with Stephen Ross. If Miami doesn't draft someone they like and Suh lingers on the market, why not? He isn't the dominant force he once was, but he would immediately add depth to the entire defensive line. I'm not sure he is a "Flores guy," but he would be cheap, quality depth.
1 year 5 million dollars
Davon Godchaux
In my mind, this is the most likely scenario. The issue will be how much Godchaux is willing to play for. This is his first chance to cash in as a free agent, so he may look to greener (more lucrative) pastures. Gochaux has been a solid contributor to Miami's defensive line for the past four seasons. He's good (not great) and will add needed depth to this rotation. Coming off an injury he could be looking for a short prove-it deal. What better place to do that than in a defense you've already played in?
1 year 4 million dollars
|Draft|
There aren't any marque names like the last couple of seasons. Barmore had a strong showing in the CFB playoffs, so I would expect him to go in the first round. Outside of that, there aren't any locks to be first rounders. As more tape gets watched there could be some players to emerge. A monster pro-day could also vault one of these players up boards. For Miami, I would expect them to add an interior lineman in the mid-to-late rounds to add depth to their already solid rotation. Lets look at some possible draft targets.
Grade | School | Height | Weight | PFF Rank | PFN Rank | Draft Network | Avg. | |
Christian Barmore | RS So. | Alabama | 6'5 | 310lbs | 15 | 51 | 38 | 35 |
Daviyon Nixon | Jr. | Iowa | 6'3 | 305lbs | 67 | 49 | 74 | 63 |
Jay Tufele | RS So. | USC | 6'3 | 315lbs | 112 | 105 | 39 | 85 |
Tommy Togiai | Jr. | Ohio State | 6'2 | 300lbs | 77 | 122 | 40 | 80 |
Levi Onwuzurike | Jr. | Washington | 6'3 | 288lbs | 50 | 92 | 57 | 66 |
Alim McNeil | Jr. | NC State | 6'2 | 315lbs | 45 | 221 | 103 | 123 |
Marvin Wilson | Sr. | Florida State | 6'5 | 311lbs | 61 | 219 | 105 | 128 |
Tyler Shelvin | Jr. | LSU | 6'3 | 362lbs | 75 | 103 | 76 | 85 |
Marlin Tuipulotu | RS Jr. | USC | 6'3 | 295lbs | 120 | 306 | 79 | 168 |
Darius Stills | Sr. | West Virginia | 6'1 | 281lbs | 163 | 590 | 107 | 287 |
Christian Barmore at #35 overall
If I'm Chris Grier, I feel pretty good about the future of my interior defensive line. For that reason, I can't justify spending a first round pick on Barmore, but if he were to fall into the second round, I could be tempted. He's a solid 3-tech, with strong hands and natural athleticism. He would probably be there best pass-rushing interior lineman and should be able to join their rotation immediately.
Tyler Shelvin day 3 selection
This is a pick that I actually really like. In my own little world (where I am the GM and coach of the Dolphins), I would draft Shelvin and stick him at nose tackle. I would then be able to move Raekwon Davis to a 3-tech and dare teams to run at my defensive line. Shelvin is a massive player and would immediately improve their run defense. He offers little-to-nothing as a pass-rusher, but would be an asset on early downs.
Marvin Wilson day 3 selection
Wilson is such an interesting prospect. If he had come out last year, he might have been a day one pick. For some reason, his splash plays behind the line of scrimmage disappeared for his senior year. In 2019 he tallied 8.5 TFL and 5 sacks. This past season he managed just 2 TFL and 1 sack in six games. Combine that with the fact that both his junior and senior season were cut short by injury and Wilson is sure to fall down some draft boards. There is a ton of risk in making this pick, but at the right position he could be a steal. The high-end play is there (just check out his 2019 tape) and I would trust Miami's staff to bring that out. Gotta risk it for the biscuit.
|Summary|
The Dolphin's interior of their defensive line is one of the more promising position groups. They don't have any regular contributors from last year over 25 and they all played reasonably well. Each player brings something different to the table, Sieler (penetration, pass rush), Davis (run defense), and Wilkins (combination of the two). Wilkins will want to take a step forward this next season to justify the price tag that comes with his fifth year option. Both Davis and Sieler are locked up through 2023 and will anchor this defensive line for the foreseeable future. Look for Miami to add a bargain free-agent (maybe Godchaux) or draft an interior defensive lineman later in the draft. Either way, things look bright for this group. Fins Up!