The praise, the problem, and possibilities with Dolphins D-line

A position-by-position series breaking down each of the Miami Dolphins’ units, assessing where the team stands heading into the 2025 offseason, and examining what could possibly be done through free agency and the NFL Draft.

DEFENSIVE LINE

▪ The praise: Seeing as how the Dolphins finished 2024 with a top-10 defense and finished ninth defending the run, it’s hard to criticize what the team got from the defensive linemen, who make up the interior of the 3-4 defensive front.

Zach Sieler delivered yet another highly productive season, recording his second consecutive 10-sack season despite missing two games because of an eye injury.

Some expected Sieler’s game to fall off because this was his first season playing without Christian Wilkins, who left the Dolphins to join the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent last offseason, but Calais Campbell’s late signing turned out to be a blessing for Miami.

Campbell’s presence and consistency as a leader, pressure player and force in the run game allowed the Dolphins to exceed expectations on defense. Without Campbell, whom the Dolphins had respectable offers to trade away at the trade deadline but turned down, the Dolphins would have struggled to turn the season around from its 2-6 start.

The Dolphins were one of the NFL’s best teams when it came to third-down defense and red zone defense, and plenty of the unit’s success was a byproduct of how the defensive front played.

▪ The problem: The Dolphins were one of the NFL’s worst sack-producing teams in 2024. In fact, Miami ranked 27th in sacks per pass play (6.12 percent), and that’s a major disappointment.

The defensive front was relatively light when it came to talent last year, and four of the players in that unit — Campbell, Benito Jones, Da’Shawn Hand and Matt Dickerson — are impending free agents. That means Miami could potentially be searching for replacements in this unit because there’s no guarantee any of the four will be back.

Campbell is debating whether he wants to play an 18th season, and if he does he will probably try to latch on with a title contender since he feels a Super Bowl ring is the only thing missing from his Pro Football Hall of Fame worthy career.

And it doesn’t help that Sieler, who is slated to earn $9.1 million in 2025, is one of the NFL’s most-underpaid defensive linemen based on his production. The Dolphins might have to revisit the 29-year-old’s contract to create the cap space needed to improve the 2025 team this offseason.

While Jones, who contributed 24 tackles in his 481 defensive snaps, was adequate, Miami would benefit from upgrading the nose tackle spot.

▪ The possibilities: While the Dolphins maintain that signing Campbell, an ageless wonder, is a priority, they have to conduct themselves during free agency and the NFL Draft as if he’s not going to return. Taking any other approach would be a mistake unless Campbell commits to Miami before the start of free agency.

Unfortunately for Miami, this free agent crop of defensive linemen is relatively underwhelming. Outside of Osa Odighizuwa, Milton Williams, B.J. Hill and D.J. Jones, who might all cash in during free agency, the crop of impending free agents lacks top-end talent. However, it’s quite possible that the top free agent nose tackles, defensive tackles and 3-4 ends will have their market depleted by the quality and quantity of top-flight defensive linemen expected to be available in the 2025 NFL Draft.

While last year’s crop of draftable defensive tackle prospects was lacking, this years class supposedly features 10 defensive linemen viewed as top-50 prospects.

Michigan’s Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Ole Miss’ Walter Nolan, Kentucky’s Deone Walker and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart are all viewed as first-round talents in the 2025 NFL Draft if they impress at the NFL Combine, and have a clean bill of health. There are another 10 defensive tackles and nose tackles who have the potential to be taken in the second day (round 2-3) of the draft.

That doesn’t even factor in the top rated 3-4 ends prospects such as Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, who would fit Miami’s scheme well.

The Dolphins have 10 draft picks in 2025 and would be making a massive mistake if they didn’t at least use a pair of them to beef up the defensive line.