Wilkins set to lead defensive line again – with new deal?
Injuries depleted the Dolphins’ depth along the defensive line in 2022, causing a pair of players to log career-high snap counts. But they flourished with the increased roles and are set to anchor the unit in 2023.
In the sixth of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s defensive line situation. Next up is inside linebacker.
2022 IN REVIEW
The Dolphins began the 2022 season with a nice collection of players along the defensive line, headlined by ascending fourthyear player Christian Wilkins and Emmanuel Ogbah, the recipient of a new long-term deal after leading Miami in sacks in consecutive seasons.
But Ogbah struggled to replicate his previous production and then sustained a season-ending triceps injury in Week 10. A season-ending foot injury to outside linebacker Trey Flowers, who can play along the defensive front, further stifled the depth. It forced not only Wilkins but also Zach Sieler to play more than 75 percent of the defensive snaps. Both produced career-high numbers, though.
DEPTH CHART CHRISTIAN WILKINS
Skinny: Wilkins continued to establish himself as one of the better interior defensive linemen in the NFL. He played 84 percent of the defensive snaps and once again led all linemen with a careerhigh 98 tackles.
Contract: Wilkins, who turns 28 in December, is entering the final year of his five-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $10,753,000, the seventhlargest on the team.
EMMANUEL OGBAH
Skinny: After recording a team-high nine sacks in consecutive seasons, Ogbah earned a $65 million deal last offseason. But in nine games, he recorded just one sack, dealt with nagging injuries and then tore his triceps in Week 10, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
Contract: Ogbah, who turns 30 in November, is entering the second year of a four-year deal he signed in 2022. He has a cap hit of $17,185,294, the fifth-largest on the team.
ZACH SIELER
Skinny: Sieler had been an excellent depth player for the Dolphins but stepped into a leading role in 2022. Playing 77 percent of the defensive snaps — by far his largest workload — Sieler recorded a career-high 70 combined tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Contract: Sieler, who turns 28 in September, is entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed in 2020. He has a cap hit of $3,225,000.
RAEKWON DAVIS
Skinny: Davis remained the Dolphins’ top nose tackle and presence in the middle of the defensive front, recording 33 tackles and his first career sack.
Contract: Davis, who turns 26 in June, is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,799,481.
JOHN JENKINS
Skinny: A top reserve, Jenkins recorded 20 tackles in 16 games.
Contract: Jenkins, who turns 34 in July, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
JUSTIN ZIMMER
Skinny: The Dolphins signed Zimmer to a oneyear deal in November. Zimmer appeared in five games, recorded one assisted tackle and was placed on injured reserve on Dec. 31.
Contract: Zimmer, who turns 31 in October, is headed for unrestricted free agency.
OFFSEASON QUESTIONS 1. Do the Dolphins sign Wilkins to a longterm deal?
As a first-round pick in the 2019 draft, Wilkins has been eligible for a contract extension for a year. Wilkins’ fifth-year option was exercised last April and he is set to play on the last year of his rookie contract with a base salary of $10.7 million, which all counts on Miami’s cap. The Dolphins will need to free cap space soon and signing Wilkins to a long-term deal would lower his cap number by almost $8 million, according to Over the Cap.
Wilkins has earned an extension and Spotrac’s calculated market value, which takes into account comparable players based on age, contract status and statistical production, projects Wilkins to receive a deal with an average annual salary of $15.3 million.
2. Can Ogbah return to form?
The Dolphins were banking on Ogbah leading a raucous pass rush with Jaelan Phillips in 2022 but it never came to fruition. Miami’s midseason trade for Bradley Chubb has seemingly taken a bit of pressure off Ogbah — and perhaps made him more expendable. But the Dolphins can’t offload Ogbah’s contract this offseason without some penalties. A release brings minimal savings and the team could save $15 million with a post-June 1 trade but that money wouldn’t be available until long after free agency has passed.
Ogbah said he was hoping to return if the Dolphins made a deep run in the playoffs and should be ready to participate in organized team activities in the spring.
Though the team needs cap space and is set to give Wilkins a significant deal, maybe the best-case scenario for the Dolphins is bringing back Ogbah and seeing if he can bounce back and contribute to a defense that should improve under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in 2023.
3. What is Fangio’s impact on the defensive line?
Fangio comes to Miami with a reputation for not blitzing much and confusing quarterbacks with intricate coverage schemes. But he is also known for compensating for light boxes by having his defensive linemen play with a gap-and-a-half technique. In his introductory news conference, Fangio emphasized the importance of stopping the run, even in a league that is more passhappy. Wilkins and Sieler have the capability to hold up as run defenders in Fangio’s scheme, and Fangio’s ability to manufacture pressure without blitzing could set them up with favorable pass-rush situations.
POTENTIAL ADDITIONS
Barring any major changes, the Dolphins will need only to replenish the depth of the defensive line. Akiem Hicks is an 11-year veteran who played under Fangio in Chicago and could fit within the rotation.
In the draft, Georgia Tech’s Keion White and Texas’ Moro Ojomo are Day 2 and 3 prospects who could play multiple positions along the defensive line.
DOLPHINS POSITION REVIEWS
TE: Miami’s tight end room likely headed for shakeup
OL: Does Miami need to target another starting offensive lineman?
WR: The Hill-Waddle pairing was an explosive tandem in 2022
RB:Will Miami be in search of another upgrade at running back?
QB: Will Miami invest significant resources into Tagovailoa’s backup?