AFC East preview: Is the Dolphins’ star-studded secondary the best in the division?
If the Dolphins want to change their fortunes in 2022, it will have to start in the division. The last time the team won the AFC East was the 2008 season when Tony Sparano was head coach and Chad Pennington was starting at quarterback. Since then, the Dolphins have made the playoffs just once and finished second in the division only four times.
The Dolphins, though, have assembled a talented and deep roster that is expected to have them in contention for a playoff spot after they have come one win short the past two seasons. In the third of an eight-part series, the Miami Herald will rank and preview different positions for each team in the AFC East, from strongest to weakest. Part 7 is secondary, and next is special teams.
1. Miami Dolphins
▪ Projected depth chart: Cornerbacks: Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Nik Needham | Safeties: Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe
▪ Skinny: The Dolphins’ secondary is the lifeblood of the defense. Howard and Jones play man-to-man defense at an elite level, allowing for intricate blitzes up front. Holland is a budding star who can play in multiple spots on the field. Jones is a great blitzer for his position but is looking to round out all parts of his game, which would make the Dolphins’ secondary even more airtight.
2. Buffalo Bills
▪ Projected depth chart: Cornerbacks: Tre’Davious White, Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson, Kaiir Elam | Safeties: Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer
▪ Skinny: The Bills have a strong case for No. 1 here. White is an elite cornerback in the NFL. Hyde and Poyer might be the top safety duo in the league. Buffalo also added Elam in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. There are questions about the early season availability of White, who sustained an ACL tear last Thanksgiving. If he’s not ready for Week 1, Elam and Jackson would have to step into larger roles early on.
3. New York Jets
▪ Projected depth chart: Cornerbacks: Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, Bryce Hall, Michael Carter II | Safeties: Jordan Whitehead, Lamarcus Joyner, Jason Pinnock.
▪ Skinny: The Jets defense was as bad as it gets last season and the front office focused a large portion of its offseason adding talent to the back end of the unit. New York drafted Gardner with its first of three first-round picks and signed Reed from the Seattle Seahawks. They join players such as Hall and Carter who had growing pains last season but received invaluable reps. Now, there is talent and depth to combat injuries.
4. New England Patriots
▪ Projected depth chart: Cornerbacks: Jalen Mills, Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Jones | Safeties: Devin McCourty, Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips, Jabril Peppers
▪ Skinny: The Patriots had one of the best defenses in the league last season but lost top cornerback J.C. Jackson, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers during free agency. New England went back to a familiar face to try to fill Jackson’s void, signing Super Bowl hero Butler. Butler is back in the league after sitting out last season. It’s unclear how much he can bring at this point in his career but has familiarity with the Patriots’ system. McCourty and Dugger make a strong safety pairing, but this is a secondary that otherwise doesn’t strike as much fear for opposing offenses without Jackson.
AFC EAST POSITION PREVIEWS
LB: Do a corps of young linebackers give the Dolphins an edge?
DL: How does the Dolphins’ defensive line stack up in the division?
OL: Have the Dolphins fixed one of the league’s worst offensive lines?
WR/TE: Does Tyreek Hill give the Dolphins the division’s best pass-catchers?
RB: After adding trio of veterans, where do the Dolphins’ running backs rank?
QB: Josh Allen is an MVP favorite but is Tua the second-best QB in the division?
