2023 Dolphins Training Camp Preview: Linebackers
The Miami Dolphins approached the offseason like a team contending for the Super Bowl. They made a big splash by trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsay and bringing in highly touted defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
The Dolphins are looking to build off last year’s success, which saw them finish 9-8 and make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. However, the team lost to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round, extending Miami’s playoff winless streak to 22 seasons.
To prepare fans for a highly anticipated season, we’ve decided to break down each positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for each player, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.
DOLPHINS LINEBACKER OUTLOOKS
Jerome Baker
2022 Stats: 100 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
2023 Outlook: Baker enters the season as one of the Dolphins' starting inside linebackers. The big question for Baker this season is how he adapts to new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme.
Historically, Baker has thrived as a pass rusher when sent on blitzes. Under Fangio, the Dolphins aren’t expected to do a lot of blitzing, possibly limiting Baker’s impact. With that said, Baker is athletic enough to be effective in coverage, an essential trait for a Fangio linebacker.
Baker is under contract through 2024, but there’s a potential out in the contract after this season, according to Spotrac. If Baker proves to be a poor fit with Fangio’s defense, it could be his last season in Miami.
David Long Jr.
2022 Stats (Titans): 86 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions
2023 Outlook: The Dolphins acquired Long in free agency this offseason after he spent the first four seasons of his career with the Titans. The pick the Titans used to select Long in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL draft is the one they acquired along with former Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill in a trade that offseason.
Long is expected to start alongside Baker at inside linebacker this season. He’s the quintessential Fangio-style linebacker due to his solid coverage skills and overall athletic profile.
However, Long has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He’s never played more than 14 games in a season and has battled consistent hamstring issues. If Long is healthy this season, he’s got a chance to be Miami’s best linebacker.
Channing Tindall
2022 Stats: 3 tackles
2023 Outlook: Tindall barely played last season after the Dolphins selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. Given his college film, Tindall’s lack of playing time wasn’t a shock.
He had a lot of learning to do playing as a traditional inside linebacker as opposed to a hybrid edge rusher. Tindall has an opportunity to earn playing time this season with the Dolphins lacking quality depth behind Long and Baker.
Tindall’s speed and versatility could be a huge asset for Fangio, who loves to move players around post-snap to confuse opposing quarterbacks.
Duke Riley
2022 Stats: 45 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 passes defended
2023 Outlook: Riley played a fair amount of snaps last season, spelling former Dolphins linebacker Elandon Roberts in obvious passing situations.
Riley is a good depth player to have. He plays with good effort, is functional enough in various roles and contributes on special teams. Still, he’s not the type of player any team wants taking significant snaps on defense every week.
With the Dolphins’ lack of depth at this position and Long’s injury history, it’s hard to imagine Riley not seeing similar usage again this coming season.
Aubrey Miller
2022 Stats (college): 65 tackles, 3 passes defended, 2 sacks, 4 forced fumbles
2023 Outlook: Miller comes to the Dolphins as a UDFA from Jackson State, and he’s got a chance to make the team this season.
The Dolphins need depth behind their primary starters, and Miller’s top competition is Tindall — who didn’t play much last season — and Riley, a career backup whose best spot is on special teams.
If Miller can prove he’s solid on special teams and make some splash plays during the preseason, it wouldn’t be a total shock to see him on the final 53-man roster.
Garrett Nelson
2022 Stats (college): 65 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble
2023 Outlook: Another UDFA, Nelson will likely see some time at both edge and linebacker. He played mostly edge for Wisconsin last season and was somewhat productive with 5.5 sacks.
The Dolphins’ edge rusher depth is much better than their linebacker depth, making Nelson’s path to the roster much easier if he hones in on linebacker.
DOLPHINS LINEBACKER SUPERLATIVES
Best Run Defender: David Long Jr.
Best Pass Defender: David Long Jr.
Best Blitzer: Jerome Baker
Most Athletic: Channing Tindall
Highest Football IQ: David Long
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR DOLPHINS LINEBACKERS
How Much Weight Can David Long Shoulder?
Linebacker has been one of the Dolphins’ most persistent weak spots on defense in recent years. Baker has always been a solid but not great player with clear liabilities in the running game.
The team relied heavily on Roberts to make up for Baker’s issues against the run, but Roberts was a total liability in coverage.
Enter Long, who is the Dolphins’ most well-rounded linebacker. Long has made his mark with his ability to provide good zone coverage, but he’s a smart run defender capable of slipping around blocks to make impact plays. That versatility — with a focus on coverage skills — makes Long a perfect fit in Fangio’s scheme.
Long is an excellent addition, but a lot is riding on his play and health. The Dolphins lack depth at linebacker, with Tindall and Riley as the team’s primary backups. Tindall is a developmental player, and Riley does a lot of his best work on special teams.
In theory, Long should solve all of the Dolphins’ primary issues at linebacker, but he’s got an extensive injury history. He’s never played more than 14 games in a season, meaning Tindall or Riley likely will have to make some starts this coming season.
If Long misses significant time or takes some time to adapt to his new surroundings, Miami’s linebacker room doesn’t look great. Assuming he also adapts to the new scheme well enough, Baker can keep things afloat, but he’s not good enough to carry the unit on his own.
Long will have a lot on his plate this season, and how he handles it will be a big factor in the effectiveness of Miami’s defense.
