Most of the moves that the Miami Dolphins made this offseason impacted that the offensive side of the ball, but their defense underwent just as many changes, including at the top with a new defensive coordinator.
With a lackluster roster and one of the toughest schedules in the league in 2026, the Dolphins are expected to struggle this year. How bad can it get?
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport projected the worst case scenario for Miami’s defense in their first season under defensive-minded head coach Jeff Hafley.
“If edge-rushers Chop Robinson and Josh Uche can’t generate consistent pressure, the Dolphins don’t have the talent at cornerback to hold up in coverage for an extended period of time,” Davenport wrote. “The secondary is largely made up of lesser-known players with limited track records. An injury to one of the few defensive linchpins still left in Miami (like defensive tackle Zach Sieler) would also be devastating. This is a defense likely headed for a long season.”
Even when trying to come up with the best case scenario, it seemed hard.
“The Dolphins struggled defensively last year—they allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game and ninth-most points per game,” Davenport wrote. “The offseason personnel purge didn’t spare the defense, either, although there is some talent on that side of the ball—especially at linebacker. Given the offensive challenges Miami is likely to face, the defense may frequently be playing from behind. If it can just be relatively respectable, that’s a win for defensive coordinator Sean Duggan.”
Once more money comes off the books next offseason, the Dolphins should be able to spend a bit more to upgrade key positions on defense that could really use it. They’d also really benefit from seeing some of their younger players (Robinson, Jacob Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, etc.) playing significant snaps and gaining that experience now.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Worst case scenario for the Dolphins defense in 2026
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire | USA TODAY Network
