Why The Miami Dolphins Defense Will Improve In 2025

The Dolphins have had a quiet offseason so far, but one thing I can say is that I think, based on recent moves, the Dolphins’ defense will improve in 2025. I am going based on Anthony Weaver‘s recent press conference on May 21st. As always, I have three reasons as to why the Miami Dolphins defense will improve in 2025.

However, I have no reason to believe they will not improve since there is always room for improvement every year unless they regress, which they should not. So, let us take a Deep-End Dive into the Miami Dolphins defense and why it will be better in 2025.

Familiar Faces Coming Back

The Miami Dolphins did not have two key players on defense in 2024 due to the injury bug: Jaelan Phillips and, as I like to refer to him after a sack, “The Astronaut” Bradley Chubb, who both should be back and healthy in 2025. They both missed significant time with Chubb, it was a torn ACL, and Phillips a torn Achilles. I personally am looking forward to seeing what these two can do with Chop Robinson and the blitzes that Weaver can send. Not to mention Zach Sieler and the addition of Kenneth Grant and Jordan Phillips at the defensive tackle position.

Throw in the breakout year of Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, and the addition of K.J. Britt, and you have the making of a defense that could improve from having the fourth total defense in the NFL last season, despite ranking towards the bottom of the NFL, twenty-seventh in fact, in sacks last season. They also had a turnover margin of +6, a ninety-four percent turnover rate on defense, and a third-down conversion percentage of 36.3 percent. Lastly, they had the fourth-fewest total yards allowed per game with an average of three hundred and fourteen yards per game, not far off the Eagles’ top defense of two hundred seventy-eight yards per game.

Being a More Opportunistic Defense

The analogy I like to use here is an alligator waiting for their prey since they are opportunistic predator. As for how this applies to the Dolphins’ defense, they need to be opportunistic as well, just like a gator waiting for their food to come to them. Basically when the opportunity comes to take the ball away via a forced fumble or a fumbalia as I like to refer to a fumble as and interceptions they need to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes whenever that may be. Take the game against the Arizona Cardinals last year, where they needed to get a stop late and did not get it, and as a result, the Cardinals won that game. If you can take the ball away in that moment, you win that game and maybe have a better chance at making the playoffs last year.

The game against the Titans on Monday Night Football, the second one, not the first one, we do not speak of that game because of how bad clock management cost them that game. In fact, it is a testament to NFL teams’ bad clock management skills, and the Dolphins are not alone; it is a league problem. Another instance they could have won with their defense is the game against the Indianapolis Colts, where if their defense is able to get that big stop I am referring to, they may have won that game. Coincidentally, they will play the Colts in week one in 2025. We will see how the Jalen Ramsey trade shakes up and who the Dolphins get back in return for him if he is indeed traded.