Dolphins Senior Bowl Primer: Defense

The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl is right around the corner, and it’s one of the most important weeks of the offseason calendar.

The annual Senior Bowl, with the game this year scheduled for February 1 following a week of practice, is an excellent opportunity for teams to get an up-close look at some of the class's best prospects, and plenty of prospects could help the Miami Dolphins next season.

The Dolphins have the 13th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and are projected to have 10 picks total (if you include project compensatory picks). For now, this is the highest the Dolphins will pick in the first round since 2021 when they wound up with the sixth overall pick (and selected wide receiver Jaylen Waddle).

Last year, the Dolphins selected a few players invited to the Senior Bowl. Patrick Paul was drafted in the second round after a strong performance in Mobile, and the team traded up for Jaylen Wright in the fourth round. Wright was on the Senior Bowl roster but missed the event with an injury.

We decided to examine the tape and give fans one player from each position to watch this week. A team’s needs can change throughout the offseason, so even if a position group looks strong now, it might not look that way in April.

After examine prospects to watch on offense, we now turn our attention to the defense.

Dolphins Senior Bowl Preview

Interior Defensive Line: Alfred Collins, Texas

A lot of what the Dolphins do at defensive tackle will hinge on Calais Campbell. The veteran is scheduled to be a free agent and could retire this offseason.

Alfred Collins has the tools to replace some of what Campbell did this past season. Collins is an NFL-ready run defender from Day 1, showing the natural strength and technique to stack and shed blocks at a high level.

He anchored a Texas defensive front that was one of the best in the nation against the run. Pairing him with Zach Sieler would give the Dolphins a nice blend of run defense and pass-rush ability on the interior.

Right now, Collins doesn’t have much of a pass-rush profile to lean on. He’s mostly just a pocket pusher on tape and rarely makes impact plays on passing downs. Senior Bowl 1-on-1s will be a good chance to see if he’s got more pass-rush moves than he showed at Texas.

Collins isn’t a flashy pick, but for a team looking to win in an AFC that includes the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills power run games, his run-defending prowess could be a huge boost. He’s mostly projected as a late Day or early Day 3 pick.

Honorable Mention: Walter Nolen, Mississippi

Edge Rusher: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

On paper, edge rusher looks like one of Miami’s best position groups. Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips are three players who have no trouble getting after the passer.

However, Phillips and Chubb have extensive injury histories. Additionally, Robinson, Phillips and Chubb are all primary standup outside linebackers, meaning Miami could use a bigger edge rusher who can play with his hand in the dirt — like Emmanuel Ogbah.

That leads us to Shemar Stewart, one of the most athletic players in this draft class. Stewart is listed at 6-6, 290 pounds, but bends the edge like a much smaller player. His best traits also make him an excellent run defender.

He has long arms and a lot of strength, which give him an advantage in setting the edge and shedding offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make tackles for loss. His overall size also makes him an excellent candidate to play over guards and centers in obvious pass-rush situations.

Stewart is the perfect complement to someone like Chop Robinson. There isn’t consensus on how high Stewart will get drafted, but it’s rare to see players with his blend of size and athleticism fall outside the first round.

Inside Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

The Dolphins must find a better running mate for Jordyn Brooks this offseason. David Long Jr. was supposed to be that player, but he got cut after playing the worst football of his career and Anthony Walker Jr. is another oft-injured veteran.

Schwesinger feels like a great pairing for Brooks because of what he can do in coverage. He’s an excellent athlete who executed a lot of coverage responsibilities for the Bruins this past season. He shadowed backs in man, closed down shallow zones, and ran downfield on Tampa-2 looks.

Brooks was arguably the best offseason acquisition Miami made last year, but the sub-par play next to him also held him back. Putting Schwesinger’s blend of speed and coverage instincts on the defensive would raise its ceiling a good bit.

There are some areas of concern with Schwesinger’s game, though. He’s only a one-year starter, and although he makes good reads on tape, those will only get more difficult in the NFL.

Schwesinger is likely to be a Day 2 pick in April, but he could rise up boards with a strong showing in Mobile, and he should test well at the NFL Combine in late February.

Honorable Mention: Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina

Cornerback: Trey Amos, Mississippi

The Dolphins cornerback room is one of the more interesting groups on the roster.

Jalen Ramsey is getting older, Kendall Fuller has an out in his contract this offseason, Kader Kohou is inconsistent, Storm Duck overperformed by making the roster but didn’t play well when on the field, and Cam Smith can’t stay on the field.

Put simply, the Dolphins will need a cornerback this offseason, and a prospect like Trey Amos could be an excellent fit in the defense. Amos’ calling card is his diverse coverage background.

He played at Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, which allowed him to gain experience playing man and zone coverage. Amos’ movement skills and size make him a good man-coverage option against all types of receivers.

The Dolphins play a lot of Cover-3, and Amos projects well in that scheme, too. He likes to bait quarterbacks into bad throws from those deeper zones, so allowing him to zone-turn and keep his eyes in the backfield is an ideal scenario.

He also does a nice job of finding the ball in coverage, producing three interceptions and 13 forced incompletions in 2024. He’s also a willing run defender who isn’t afraid to step up and tackle ball carriers in the open field.

Amos is projected to go either late in the first round or early in the second round. A strong week in Mobile will likely push him closer to the former, though.

Honorable Mention: Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan

Safety: Andrew Mukuba, Texas

The Dolphins’ only safety under contract for next season is Patrick McMorris, a 2024 sixth-round pick who barely played last season. Even if the team re-signs Jevon Holland or Jordan Poyer, they’ll need a high-volume snap taker at safety.

Texas' Andrew Mukuba is a good option to replace Holland's skill set in the defense. Mukuba had a breakout season after transferring from Clemson before the 2024 season. He posted excellent ball production, recording six pass breakups and five interceptions — and those interceptions weren't lucky, either. Mukuba has tremendous instincts in coverage, allowing him to easily close down throwing windows and make consistent impact plays.

Although Mukuba is wildly versatile in coverage, his wiry frame doesn't bode well for playing in the box. To his credit, Mukuba is tough and capable of flying downhill to make impact tackles in the running game. It's hard to imagine that he will be a huge part of his game in the NFL because his opponents will be a lot stronger.

If the Dolphins can pair Mukuba with a bigger, stronger safety, he can be a starter for the team next season. His ability to play in deep zones and man coverage from the slot would keep defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver's options open when calling in plays.

Honorable Mention: Landon Jackson, Arkansas