NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
As we make our way through the Miami Dolphins roster, the defense is looking full of hits and misses from the Chris Grier era. The unit itself has been performing well with a rebuilt core. So, how does the team fix the gaps in performance for 2026?
Dual Role Linebackers
Miami has a couple of linebackers who can step up and make a play at the line of scrimmage. There is no shade on their ability to make a hit on a ball carrier. However, one of the glaring holes in this defense is coverage. The Dolphins are one of the worst teams as far as takeaways go. To date, they only have 3 total takeaways, 2 from safeties and one from a cornerback. Miami has to get better at the short to mid passes beyond just stepping up and hitting the receiver once they catch the ball. They don’t need a guy who is deep down the field making plays. They just need a guy who can control the 5-7 yards beyond the line of scrimmage and make hits to pop the ball free. They need a bruiser who doesn’t play dirty but still can make plays.
Clean Up Plays
The Dolphins do a great job at disguising looks, yet somehow they’re not getting to the quarterback, and they’re not getting interceptions. So what are they exactly disguising? If Miami wants to get back to the top of the ranks on the defensive side of the football, maybe we can clean up some of the disguises and start getting back to straightforward, smash-you-in-the-mouth football. They don’t need to abandon it completely. Hell, it could be a large part of their game plan. However, they still need the guys who can move people around and make plays happen. Jordyn Brooks has been a stud for Miami this year, and they need to find more like him. A few more Zach Thomas-type linebackers would be clutch.
Complimentary Football.
The same thing that is said about the defensive line can be said about the linebackers. To pull off all these disguise packages, they have to be able to rely on guys getting back out, or back into coverage, before the opposing offense gets to their spot. It has created too many mismatches and players out of position. The speed of the game has picked up, so the Dolphins have the right mindset in getting faster players, but speed and technique aren’t always going to be in a spot to make plays. Where the Dolphins lack is a complete roster. Their entire offense and defense is just a copy and paste of the guy standing next to them. To borrow a gaming term, they don’t have a “full party,” and they need a better mix for complementary football.
The Miami Dolphins defense is no slouch. They’re making plays and keeping opponents from running up the score. However, there are a few tweaks the new GM will have to look to fix. There will be upgrades out there in free agency. However, with low cap space, the Dolphins might have to get creative to make it work.
