The Miami Dolphins’ 2019 pass rush was one of the bigger points of frustration for the roster. Even when coach Brian Flores was willing to dial up pressure, the team rarely found opportunities to collapse the pocket or crash off the edge and get home to opposing quarterbacks. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise at all that the Dolphins were aggressive this offseason in upgrading their problematic rush group. And by the time the Dolphins were done with the 2020 NFL Draft, the team was able to outright cut DE Taco Charlton and trade DE Charles Harris to the Atlanta Falcons for a future 7th-round selection.
But what will the ideal rush group for this defense look like? The team is likely to implement a lot of looks with the versatility of their personnel — linebacker Kyle Van Noy is a viable threat off the ball or on the edge and newly acquired defensive ends Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah offer plenty of power.
When the chips are down on 3rd and long, what should Dolphins fans expect to see in the team’s pass rush in 2020? If the team were to implement a 4-man front on passing downs, it is likely we’ll see this personnel often for the Dolphins.
RUSH LB – Kyle Van Noy
DE – Shaq Lawson
DT – Christian Wilkins
DT – Raekwon Davis
DE – Emmanuel Ogbah
With Van Noy crashing off the edge, Lawson aligned in the B-gap, Wilkins shaded on the center and two long, powerful, twitchy bodies in Davis and Ogbah working off the backside, the Dolphins will have the bodies needed to collapse the pocket around opposing quarterbacks — a skill they sorely lacked in 2020. Davis’ addition as a 2020 2nd-round selection came as a bit of a surprise, but he has the penetration ability and upside that fellow defensive tackle Davon Godchaux does not. The interior due of Wilkins and Davis should allow for frequent one on one matchups across the board — and from there Miami will hope their upgraded personnel can score the wins they couldn’t in 2019.