Miami Dolphins: Can An Already Tough Defense Be More Dominant?

When it comes to the Miami Dolphins, the defense seems to have been the strength of the team the past few seasons. The offense has improved but is still trying to find its footing. On defense, however, the unit has been firing on all cylinders with how they get after the football and pack the turnover stat line. Takeaways have been a staple of the Miami defense, but is the best yet to come from this unit?

When it comes to the past few seasons, a lot of credit was given to the defense under Brian Flores. After he came over from being a defensive coordinator in New England, many pinned their success to his name. While he may have had his hand in that mix, there’s still plenty leftover from that success that could turn into their strengths in 2022. Schematically speaking, the Miami Dolphins ought to be running a similar defense. They were able to retain Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer. While Flores might have had the final say, it’s Boyer’s scheme they’d eventually run. Unlike previous seasons where the team would start from scratch with new coordinators, Miami kept theirs on due to the on-field success.

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But that’s not the only strength of this unit going forward. The Miami Dolphins went into the offseason with a game plan to bring back the majority of their success on defense from the year before. Most of their defense who was due to hit free agency was resigned bringing back some much-needed leadership and drive. The long-term contract for star DB Xavien Howard locked him up for years to come.

And as much as it seems like the Dolphins pressed the “easy button” this offseason and just copied and pasted their roster from last year, there’s more to it still. What they were able to do in the NFL Draft and after is key. First, with their first pick in the draft, they picked a LB who can get after the quarterback, Channing Tindall. He’s got the ability to get sideline to sideline and close lanes with solid tackling. Then there’s Cameron Goode who will also be another guy to get after the quarterback.

But Chris Grier and the Miami Dolphins weren’t done yet. It’s as if it clicked that linebackers who can get after the QB and defend in the passing game are a must. While they upgraded those positions over the years, they were still playing catchup after years of neglect. With that being said, Miami quietly snuck another upgrade to their ranks, Melvin Ingram. Ingram visited Miami but didn’t sign for a couple of weeks. He’s still productive and with Miami’s current pass-rushing attack, he adds more depth and, yep you guessed it, he can get after the quarterback.

If last year’s defense was great, this Miami Dolphins defense has the potential to be elite. There’s no reason to doubt they’ll be better in 2022.