MIAMI DOLPHINS ROSTER BREAKDOWN - PART 3

In this part we take a look at the defensive line and linebackers and assess what the team must do.

The only area of the defense that shouldn’t need a pick used on it is interior defensive line after Chris Grier selected three players to bolster the position last season. The trio of Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers started the year as liabilities, with many questioning what Grier was thinking when he called their names, but by season end it was a different story and all three started to shine. Add in stalwart Zach Sieler along with Matthew Butler and Alex Huntley and you have the makings of a solid interior line with good depth. It is a shame it can’t be said for the rest of the defense.

On the ends of the line Chop Robinson and Joshua Uche are pencilled in as starters, being brutally honest, at this point it is a concern that they won’t be able to provide enough pressure off the edges. Since being drafted in 2024 Robinson hasn’t really delivered. The hope is he breaks out as his speed and size are more suited to the 4-3 scheme that Jeff Hafley brings with him. Last season his overall PFF grade was 115^th among qualified edge rushers. Let that sink in, each team has two starting edge rushers generally, 32 teams, 64 starters, his grade was right down at the bottom of the pile with the worst back-ups.  

On the other end Bradley Chubb isn’t returning, so to fill the void Sullivan signed Joshua Uche. He was drafted back in 2020 by the Patriots with the 60^th pick. His first two years were marred by injury, so he never really got going. He broke out in 2022, it took him a while but after his first sack in week eight he went on a run and finished the year with 11.5. Great things were expected but his production dipped and part the way through 2024 he was traded to the Chiefs.

Last year he found himself in a rotational role with the Eagles and didn’t play enough to earn a ranking, although his 85.1 grade was higher than the 54.8 Robinson earned, so it could be argued he was more efficient when he got his opportunities. Despite the limited snaps he posted a high 17.4% pass-rush win rate proving that he is still an effective, high pressure edge defender. It remains to be seen if he will be worth the gamble a year on, and in a starting role.

If he doesn’t elevate his game, then either David Ojabo or Robert Beal Jr could end up getting the nod. Ojabo is intriguing as he was a 2022 second round pick of the Ravens but missed most of his rookie season with a torn Achilles suffered during his pro day. After returning he couldn’t crack the starting line-up. During his four seasons with the Ravens he earned one start, recorded just 18 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks. Considering the Raven’s defense played poorly last year it is a concern that he barely saw the field. His 2025 highlights showed a player who is strong at the point of attack and one that doesn’t give up, so you must ask, how bad were his lowlights if the Ravens let him walk?

Beal is the other player in the mix, he was drafted by the 49ers back in 2023, was injured his rookie season and then in 2024 appeared in 14 games, contributing on defense and special teams. 2025 was not a good year as he was waived, resigned to the practice squad, promoted to the active roster and then went through the same process again before being signed by the Dolphins. He has never started a game in the NFL yet, so the question is, has he got the tools to make that jump with a team in need of pass rushers. It could be an interesting camp battle if that is who they stick with, lets hope they bring in a rookie to shake things up.

Behind the top four there is a mixed bag of young inexperienced players who have been knocking around practice squads for their young careers so it is yet to be seen if Derrick McLendon, Cameron Goode and Seth Coleman can make an impression. It is a decidedly thin group that needs an injection of talent, otherwise it could be a long season for the secondary.

Behind the line you have the linebackers, they are respectable as a starting trio, in part because they are led by the 2025 NFL tackle king Jordyn Brooks, alongside him are Tyrel Dodson and Willie Gay Jr. They played well as a whole but were exposed at times, primarily against the pass. Brooks is the unquestioned leader, making his presence known time after time, it is great that he is returning.

Providing the starting three stay healthy the team could get by, but depth is a big concern because Ronnie Harrison Jr, Jackson Woodward and K.C. Ossai are the backups. Harrison is the only one with starting experience but has bounced around four teams since being drafted back in 2018, he may be serviceable, but the others are unknown quantities, and in reality, there aren’t enough bodies. They will end up signing more linebackers as teams on average carry 7 – 9 at the position, so players will be incoming, the question is will they use a draft pick or wait for teams to start cutting players later on, either way they must address the position.