The Miami Dolphins can draw inspiration from the reigning champs amid one of their biggest roster questions in 2026
The Miami Dolphins‘ roster questions pinball between concerns about wide receivers to the readiness of a young secondary — and everything in between. Clarity only comes when the games start for real. So expect plenty more questions between now and mid-September. But if you’re looking for blueprints for how some of those questions can be […]
The Miami Dolphins‘ roster questions pinball between concerns about wide receivers to the readiness of a young secondary — and everything in between.
Clarity only comes when the games start for real. So expect plenty more questions between now and mid-September. But if you’re looking for blueprints for how some of those questions can be alleviated, I come bearing good news. The NFL’s reigning champs saw their pass rush unit fueled by the defensive interior — which can inspire hope for a Miami team that has lots of young players hoping to make a leap on the inside.
The Miami Dolphins can draw inspiration from the reigning champs amid one of their biggest roster questions in 2026
Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams led the team in pressures during the 2025 regular season with 58. Young defensive tackle Byron Murphy II finished third on the team with 50. Only veteran defensive end Demarcus Lawrence landed between them (52). And the defensive tackle duo of Williams and Murphy II finished tied for the team lead in sacks with seven apiece.
It’s a pretty healthy workload for a pair of defenders who live on the inside. And yes, the Seahawks had plenty of rotational pieces to rush off the edge. Yes, head coach Mike Macdonald has quickly proven himself a defensive mastermind with a master’s degree in simulated pressures. He’s sensational.
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is his own man. He’s got his own tendencies and his own scheme. But in a world where edge defenders must drop into short zones as frequently as ever before, finding rushers who can win on the interior is a must. The Seahawks went the distance with it in 2025. The Miami Dolphins, at the very least, have some pieces.
Veteran defensive tackle Zach Sieler has lived in this stratosphere before. He only posted 32 pressures in 2025 but logged 46 pressures in 2024 and 56 back in 2023. That season, he played alongside Christian Wilkins — who himself was credited with 58 pressures. 2025 first-round pick Kenneth Grant finished the 2025 regular season with 29 pressures. 18 of those pressures came starting in Week 8, which ranked 20th best among all NFL defensive tackles.
Grant making a leap gives the Miami Dolphins hope of a disruptive duo on passing downs. It almost surely won’t squeeze closed the gap between what Miami’s defense will be in 2026 and what the Seahawks were in 2025. But it can serve as a foundational launch point. Suppose EDGE defender Chop Robinson finds some of his rookie form this season, as well? That’s your path for the pass rush questions being answered in 2026.
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