Dolphins’ defense stacks up well with AFC East

Miami’s defense compares favorably with its conference rivals the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins, Patriots and Bills have three of the top cornerback tandems in the league.

For the first time this century, we enter an NFL season with no clear front-runner in the AFC East.

So how do the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills stack up by position?

We explored that question on the offensive side in this piece.

Here’s a look at how the four teams match up defensively.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Dolphins: Christian Wilkins, Davon Godchaux, Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Raekwon Davis, Zach Sieler, Curtis Weaver, Jason Strowbridge

Patriots: Beau Allen, Adam Butler, Brian Cowart, Lawrence Guy, Derek Rivers, John Simon, Deatrich Wise

Bills: Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes, Quinton Jefferson, Vernon Butler, Star Lotulelei, Ed Oliver

Jets: Henry Anderson, Steve McLendon, Quinnen Williams, Nathan Shepherd, Foley Fatukasi

The view here: The Bills lost Lawson to the Dolphins and

Jordan Phillips (after a breakout 9.5-sack season) to Arizona, yet still appear to have the best defensive line in the division — with 2019 first-round pick Oliver (5.0 sacks as a rookie), free agent pickup Addison (at least nine sacks each of the last four seasons), Hughes (4.5 sacks), Jefferson (a competent starter for Seattle the past two seasons), Vernon Butler (six sacks, three forced fumbles for Carolina last year) and Lotulelei (agreed to take a pay cut).

The Dolphins’ group is much improved, with the addition of solid run defenders Lawson (6.5 sacks for Bills last season) and Ogbah (5.5 sacks in 10 games for Chiefs). The hope is that second-round pick Davis can become a quality No. 3 tackle and lessen the load on Godchaux. A jump from Wilkins is expected and necessary.

For the Patriots, losing Danny Shelton to Detroit hurts, but they’re pretty good at defensive tackle with Lawrence Guy (a quality starter the past three years with the Patriots), Allen (signed from Tampa Bay), and Adam Butler (six sacks last season). John Simon and Chase Winovich (5.5 sacks as a rookie) also can play end. A decent group, but nothing special.

The Jets have the third pick of the 2019 draft in Williams, but his rookie season was solid, not spectacular. As CBS’ Phil Simms told me, it’s difficult for first-round tackles — such as Oliver, Wilkins, Williams — to make a huge immediate impact.

McLendon and Williams each had 2.5 sacks, which surprisingly was the most among all the Jets’ linemen. But the Jets allowed a league-low 3.3 yards per carry, and the defensive line gets a ton of credit for that.

LINEBACKER

Dolphins: Kyle Van Noy, Jerome Baker, Raekwon McMillan, Elandon Roberts, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Vince Biegel,

Trent Harris, Andrew Van Ginkel

Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Chase Winovich, Brandon Copeland, Shilique Calhoun, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings

Bills: A.J. Klein, Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Vosean Joseph, Tyrel Dodson

Jets: Jordan Jenkins, C.J. Mosley, Neville Hewitt, Harvey Langhi, Tarell Basham, Patrick Onwuasor, Avery Williamson, James Burgess, Blake Cashman

The view here: The Patriots might — repeat, might — have a very slight edge because of the presence of 2019 Pro Bowler Hightower and the addition of Uche in the second round of the draft and Jennings in the third. But there’s a lot of responsibility on pedestrian players: Copeland (a backup with the Jets last season), Bentley and Calhoun.

But you could easily make a case for any of the three other teams boasting the best linebacker group in the division.

The upside of the Jets’ group is dependent on whether Mosley — the former Ravens All-Pro — can return to form after missing 14 games last season with a groin injury. Williamson and Cashman also return from serious injuries. Jenkins comes off an eight-sack season.

The Bills’ signing of Klein (who had 69 tackles as a starter for the Saints last season) should compensate for the retirement of Lorenzo Alexander. Edmunds (115 tackles) is a solid middle linebacker, and Milano (101 tackles) took another jump last season. Joseph, the fifthround pick out of UF (via Miami Norland), should join the rotation.

And the Dolphins’ group should be much improved with the addition of Van Noy.

The wild cards: Will Baker and McMillan progress from pretty good to very good players? And will Roberts and GrugierHill merely be backups and special teams assets or will either become something more?

SAFETY

Dolphins: Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain, Adrian Colbert, Kavon Frazier, Brandon Jones and Clayton Fejedelem

Patriots: Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Adrian Phillips, Kyle Dugger, Terrence Brooks,

Cody Davis

Bills: Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Jaquan Johnson, Dean Marlowe

Jets: Jamal Adams, Marcus Maye, Ashtyn Davis, Bennett Jackson

The view here: Slight advantage here to the Patriots, who fended off the Dolphins to keep McCourty and drafted the well-regarded Dugger in the second round to groom as a backup behind McCourty and Chung. And they added depth with Phillips, a former part-time starter with the Chargers.

The Jets are right there with the Patriots if they keep Adams. But Adams, a Pro Bowler the past two seasons, has asked to be traded. Whether the Jets — who have picked up Adams’ 2021 option — will acquiesce to his trade request remains to be seen. Maye is a solid starter and Davis (seven interceptions the past three years at Cal) has considerable upside.

The Dolphins are trying the unusual approach of using two former cornerbacks at safety. Rowe was exceptional after being moved to safety last October; McCain was uneven in the role before an injury ended his season in November. Frazier and Colbert are capable veteran backups, and Jones — the third-round pick — could compete for early playing time.

Poyer (three forced fumbles, two interceptions last season) and Hyde (a second-team All Pro in 2017) comprise a decent Bills starting tandem, with former UM standout Johnson providing depth.

CORNERBACK

Dolphins: Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Noah Igbinoghene, Nik Needham, Jamal Perry, Cordrea Tankersley

Patriots: Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, Joejuan Williams

Bills: Tre’Davious White, Josh Norman, Levi Wallace, E.J. Gaines, Taron Johnson

Jets: Blessuan Austin, Pierre Desir, Brian Poole (slot), Arthur Maulet, Nate Hairston, Bryce Hall

The view here: You could make a reasonable case for the Dolphins, Patriots and Bills — who all have Pro Bowl players at the position — but the Patriots get the edge for now because of last year’s body of work.

By contrast, cornerback might be the Jets’ weakest position.

With Howard and Jones, the Dolphins have the league’s most expensive cornerback duo, but also two of arguably the top dozen cornerbacks in football, if both are healthy and at their best. (Howard wasn’t last season.) If Igbinoghene — the 30th overall pick — can become a quality nickel corner this year, that would be a big help.

The Patriots are loaded at corner, led by Gilmore — the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year — and Jackson, a rising talent who had five interceptions last season despite starting only six games, plus veteran starters McCourty and Jones.

McCourty and Jones are both solid veterans, so Williams — a secondround pick last year — probably won’t see much playing time in his second NFL season.

The Bills have a firstteam All Pro in White, plus 2015 Pro Bowler Norman, who didn’t live up to his big contract in Washington and hopes to revive his career in Buffalo.

The Jets have a solid slot corner in Poole (retained in free agency), and Desir (three interceptions in 11 starts for the Colts last season) is a serviceable starter on the boundary.

But there’s not another proven starting boundary corner on the roster; Austin, Maulet and fifthrounder Hall will compete. The Jets’ defensive backfield would be bolstered if they sign Titans free agent cornerback Logan Ryan.