So far in this off-season, the Dolphins have added depth at many positions.
They have signed multiple safeties, a running back, an offensive lineman, a wide receiver, a tight end, two linebackers, and a quarterback.
One area that they have failed to add to is the defensive front.
While the edge position is loaded with at least three quality players in Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson, the interior of the defensive line is another story.
Yes, you have the criminally underrated Zach Sieler, but beyond him, there is nothing except for some camp bodies.
Miami could chose to address the position the way they did last year which involved them signing seven different defensive tackles as hopes of filling the production of fan favorite, Christian Wilkins, who left for the Las Vegas Raiders via free agency.
However, in this scenario, there is no guarantee that any of these players would make a significant impact as of the seven defensive tackles, only Da’Shawn Hand and Benito Jones played significant snaps in the season.
A better choice would be to add a quality veteran to take snaps like Derrick Nnadi or Maurice Hurst, and pair them with a draft pick.
That rookie should be Alfred Collins out of the University of Texas.
A native of Bastrop, Texas, Collins played five seasons with the Longhorns and saved his best season for last as he recorded 55 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and six pass break-ups.
Collins really makes his mark on the game with his massive size at 6’6, 332 and long arms at nearly 35 inches long.
He also had an eight-foot broad jump at the NFL Combine last month, which showed his explosiveness.
Even at 332 pounds, Collins is very quick and would be able to fit into a defensive tackle rotation right away.
With Sieler and Nnadi plus a potential return of Calais Campbell, Collins could learn from the three veterans while also taking a few reps early in the season.
Then in the back half of the season, Miami can lean on Collins more as one of the bigger bodies in the defensive tackle room as opponents would lean heavily on the ground game as the weather gets colder.
Going forward, Collins could be the kind of nose tackle that the Ravens, where Anthony Weaver came from, made famous like Michael Pierce and Haloti Ngata.
Collins would be the highest-drafted defensive tackle by the Dolphins since Raekwon Davis in 2020.
He would be worth that kind of investment for his potential impact with the team, now and in the future.
