With all of the offensive players finished with their NFL Combine workouts, now is the time for the defensive side of the ball to shine in Indianapolis. Day three of on-field workouts at the NFL Combine marks the time for the defensive line and linebackers — which the Dolphins will certainly have their eye on as they look to boost their pass rush.
Here are a few interior defensive linemen that could be key for the Dolphins in April:
Javon Kinlaw – South Carolina
Kinlaw is extremely explosive on tape and he plays with relentless energy. It doesn’t matter what caliber offensive line he faces, he can be seen making plays and causing disruptions in the backfield. Kinlaw has the size at 6-5 and 324 pounds and looks every bit of it. Don’t let his size fool you, he moves extremely well and can chase down plays from behind.
Raekwon Davis – Alabama
Davis was considered a 1st-round pick had he declared for the draft in 2019 but ultimately chose to return to school. He had a quiet year in 2019 but his physical upside is still talent. When Davis is on, he is nearly unstoppable and can create havoc. He has the versatility to play in any defensive front, which makes him a perfect fit for Miami’s defense.
Leki Fotu – Utah
A mammoth interior tackle that requires double teams, Fotu could fit the Danny Shelton role in Brian Flores’ defense as the nose tackle/space eater. For a big man, the former Ute moves well enough and creates push in the middle of opposing offensive lines. Don’t look for him the be an all-star athlete, but his movements in drills may be better than expected for his size.
A.J. Epenesa – Iowa
Coming into the 2019 season, there was talk of Epenesa and Chase Young potentially being the best defensive end prospect. Not much changed — other than Chase Young really taking on star status. Epenesa is a bit of an in-between defender, he’s not going to fill a wide angled outside rush role and in odd fronts he may be closed into the defensive set — so we’ll put him with the interior group based on technicalities.
He is a big guy at 6-5 and 275 pounds and can be difficult to block with his strong hands.
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