With all of the talk about the Miami Dolphins‘ offense heading into the 2025 NFL season, the most pressure could end up resting on the defense. And, considering that trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey is all but a foregone conclusion and there isn’t much else exciting in the secondary, the onus will be on the defensive line.
According to a recent ranking of defensive lines by Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins actually rank No. 11 in the NFL.
“A healthy edge unit could push Miami into the top five, although the unit is also capable of dropping into the 20s,” writes Zoltán Buday. “Even though Jaelan Phillips ranked sixth among edge defenders in 2022 with an 88.8 PFF overall grade, he has logged only 500 snaps over the past two seasons. Bradley Chubb missed the entire 2024 campaign. If healthy, that pair and 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson could spearhead one of the league’s most fearsome edge defender rooms.”
If you say so.
Edge rushers are essential to any defensive line and often get the spotlight because they are typically they ones that are racking up the sacks, but production inside can change an entire defense.
“On the interior, Zach Sieler remains underrated. He is coming off a 78.6 PFF overall grade in 2024, which ranked 11th among 118 interior defenders,” Buday concludes.
The Dolphins also used their 2025 first-round draft pick on Kenneth Grant out of the University of Michigan. If he lives up to his first-round status quickly, that should work wonders for the entire line.
Is Chubb the key to the defense?
It seems like Dolphins fans are putting a lot of their hopes into Chubb returning to form, but should they?
Chubb is entering his fourth season in Miami, but it will only be his third year actually playing for them. As previously noted by PFF, Chubb didn’t play at all in 2024 after thoroughly shredding his knee at the end of the previous season. He tore his ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon which is devastating for any player, let alone a guy in his late 20s.
Now, Chubb is 29-years old and who knows what he’ll look like coming off a brutal right knee injury. In 2023, he had 11 sacks, which is a very good year for sure. But, his only other double-digit sack year came in his rookie season with the Denver Broncos in 2018 when he was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Chubb simply has never been a game wrecker, so it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins should be relying heavily on him becoming one now. If he were to get even 10 sacks that should be considered a huge success.
Jaelan Phillips has major questions marks as well
Phillips received a very solid grade from PFF, but his career pass-rush arc is concerning. A first-round draft pick back in 2021, Phillips logged 8.5 sacks his rookie year, but followed that up with seasons of seven, 6.5 and then one sack last year.
Phillips suffered a torn ACL during a Week 4 loss in 2024 and missed the rest of the season.
He’s only played in 12 games the past two years, so now the Dolphins will attempt to hang their hats on two guys who haven’t played much in recent memory?
The Dolphins defense has big-time issues in the secondary and the best cure for a questionable back end is an active pass rush and defensive line. The team better hope that Chubb and Phillips can get back healthy or else it could be an incredibly long year for the Dolphins, which will most likely result in the exits of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier.
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