MIAMI GARDENS — A funny thing has happened to the Miami Dolphins during this year’s roster flip from “win now” to “trying to win with youth and draftees.”
The Dolphins’ best depth and talent, for the first time in the coach Mike McDaniel era, is shifting to the defensive side of the ball.
I’ll admit that I didn’t see this coming. In the days before the draft and immediately after I was writing about the obvious talent shortfall at cornerback and the shortfall of defensive offseason additions compared to offense.
But this ongoing talent shift began surfacing during organized team activities and minicamp, and continued through training camp and preseason games.
Will the talent shift give the Dolphins, who I’ve predicted to win nine games this season, a better chance to get a playoff berth and a home playoff game? You can’t say that for sure.
The thing we can say for sure is the Dolphins’ passing game, the engine that drives this team, an engine that won’t have Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead (retired) or Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith (traded) this year, has been shut down by top opponents for the past two seasons even when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been healthy.
Knowing that, the Dolphins’ unplanned talent flip, led by a defensive front seven that I’ve hyped as a possible game-changing/game-winning unit, is a promising turn of events because it gives the Dolphins another way to win.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver coached his group to being No. 4 in total defense last season (314.3 yards allowed per game). They were No. 9 against the run (103.7 ypg), No. 9 against the pass (210.6 ypg) and No. 10 in points allowed (21.4 points per game), the stat Weaver prizes above all others.
Weaver might be able to build on the momentum of 2024 and be even better in 2025.
Yes, the defense lost two likely Hall of Famers in cornerback Jalen Ramsey (traded) and tackle Calais Campbell (left in free agency), and it lost a talented safety in Jevon Holland (left in free agency).
But the defense is still legit.
If edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, who missed much of last season due to knee injuries, are available for much of this season the defense is already on its way to being better.
Beyond that, think about the talent surplus on the defensive side of the ball.
Yes, cornerback, where the Dolphins lost all three starters from last season, is a soul-sucking concern. All three of this year’s projected starters — Storm Duck, Jack Jones and slot/nickel Jason Marshall Jr. — are, well, let’s just say unproven, at best. And if we’re being honest, the cornerbacks could lead to the team’s downfall.
Still, I’d contend the defense might surpass the offense this season.
The Dolphins are loaded at edge rusher/outside linebacker, primarily among Phillips, Chubb, Chop Robinson and Matthew Judon.
The Dolphins are loaded at inside linebacker among Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Willie Gay Jr. and K.J. Britt.
The linebackers, outside and inside, are the best and deepest group on the team.
The Dolphins are building good depth at interior defensive line alongside Zach Sieler and Benito Jones with Kenneth Grant, the first-round pick, fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips and seventh-round pick Zeek Biggers.
And the safeties — primarily Minkah Fitzpatrick, Iffy Melinfonwu, Elijah Campbell and Ashtyn Davis — show promise.
Offensively?
The starters are good to fair, but depth is lacking or questionable everywhere.
At quarterback, you’re good with Tua (except against playoff teams, where he’s 2-10 in the past two years) but the backups — Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers — each raise questions.
At running back, starter De’Von Achane is money. But the primary backup, Ollie Gordon II, who I like, is a rookie sixth-round pick.
At wide receiver, starters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are golden (except against playoff teams, where neither has a 100-yard game in the past two years), but the backups — led by Malik Washington and Dee Eskridge — have work to do before they’re considered reliable.
At tight end, all have questions.
The starting offensive line has potential. But on the backup offensive line everyone is a question mark.
Granted, we don’t yet know much about the 2025 Dolphins offense, which finished 18th overall (325.9 ypg) and 22nd in scoring (20.3 ppg) last season with Tua missing six starts. That’s because we haven’t seen a lot of the Dolphins offense due to Hill, its top threat, missing every preseason game and almost all of the offseason program due to right wrist surgery and an oblique injury.
The more I see the Dolphins defense, the more I like the talent, depth and coaching. And if they improve at cornerback after Tuesday’s 4 p.m. mandatory leaguewide roster cuts, they’ll almost certainly surpass the offense as the top group on the team.