Dolphins Set to Host Massive Defensive Tackle Despite Big Investment

The NFL draft is just three weeks away, and the Miami Dolphins are doing some homework on defensive linemen with former Georgia Bulldogs standout Christen Miller set to visit, according to a report from Aaron Wilson on X.

With Jon-Eric Sullivan now taking control as the team’s new general manager, he is starting to make some adjustments to the way the Dolphins have done things in the past. Could that mean a change in how they are looking at the defensive line?

It’s possible. The visit with Miller coming after reports of another visit from Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald could indicate interest, and comes on the heels of the Dolphins taking three defensive linemen in last year’s draft. That includes Kenneth Grant, who the team selected with the 13th overall pick.

Two of the biggest fundamentals in football are the ability to run the football, and the ability to stop opposing offenses from running all over your defense.

The Dolphins’ run game on offense is in good shape with De’Von Achane set to return to Miami with Malik Willis under center.

On defense? That’s a different story. Miami’s run defense was the worst in all of football through the first seven weeks of the season in 2025. The Dolphins improved by season’s end, but only slightly, finishing a dismal 27th against opposing ground games.

That’s not going to cut it if the Dolphins want to find their way back into contention.

The hope could be that internal progress from the players who will return in 2026 will help improve Miami’s run defense. Kenneth Grant was a top 15 pick. Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers could grow into their own as role players in Jeff Hafley’s defense.

Even if that’s true, the Dolphins could use some reinforcements on their front. Hafley likes to rotate his defensive linemen throughout the game to keep them fresh.

Jeff Hafley's Philosophy

“Philosophically, I think a lot of coaches would like to have fresh D-linemen because the same O-linemen are in for every play,” Hafley said to Green Bay media.

“If you can overwhelm them and wear them out, I think when you get late into games, it’s an advantage to the defense. Imagine your left tackle or right tackle are in for 65 snaps but your defensive ends, you have four guys who have played between 28 and 45 plays."

That philosophy that Hafley implemented was in place for both seasons he was in Green Bay, and his opponents in the league noticed.

“It feels like the defensive line is just a whole new wave every single play,” former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor told reporters before a matchup in 2024.

“You watch the Houston game, and they just got after [quarterback C.J. Stroud] with relentless pressure. Not even always bringing extra people, just fresh legs, guys flying off the football, attacking.

“It just jumps off the tape. They were able to just kind of overwhelm Houston, even if there weren’t free runners. Just a lot of high energy, a lot of really good players, just a wave of pass-rushers rolling through, and everybody firing off the ball.”

The desire to keep defensive linemen fresh is a big reason the Dolphins could be bringing in someone like Miller to get a closer look at him.

Where Does Miller Fit?

Miller is a big, powerful man at 6-3, 321 pounds, and could form a formidable, intimidating spine of the defense with the massive Kenneth Grant.

With an assumed switch to a 4-3 base that Hafley used in Green Bay, adding another defensive tackle who can hold up against the run, while also showing some ability to rush the passer, is something the Dolphins need despite last season’s investment.

Miller earned a 82.3 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, That was good for 30th among 887 qualified interior defensive linemen.

His PFF pass-rush grade of 70.4 ranked 127th among 887 qualified interior defensive linemen. His run-defense grade of 88.1 ranked 10th at the position.

He generated 16 total pressures as a pass rusher. He did not register a sack, but was disruptive with 14 hurries, and 2 quarterback hits.

“He has good stack-and-shed against single blocks but lacks the prototypical mass of a space-eater,” Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote.

“He will lose his anchor to double teams and strong angle blocks at times. He’s average at matching lateral movement off the snap but is generally aware of play design and hustles across gaps to squeeze run lanes. He’ll continue to bulk up and should become a good starter who is more consistent than dominant along the interior."

From a Boy to a Man

Bringing a player in on a visit can also be to gather intel on the type of person the player is, and there likely are some questions that Sullivan, Hafley and the coaching staff will have.

One question will likely surround when Miller was cited for driving 30 miles over the speed limit during his freshman season at Georgia.

“When mistakes like that happen, it teaches you, you have to grow up fast, and I had to understand that decision I made when I was speeding, it not only affect me, but it affected my teammates and my family,” Miller said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

“So I had to understand that I have to be more intentional when I’m driving. If I’m going 10 (mph) over, I have to see that and be a man. I came as a boy and I left as a man, and I feel like I said earlier, the people around me hold me to a certain standard, I’m a whole different guy now, for sure.”

Perhaps that different man is someone that Miami could be interested in with a second-round pick. The Dolphins currently own the 43rd pick in the second round, and Miller is ranked 46th on the consensus big board.

That could line up value and desire for the player perfectly. Even with last year’s investment, there are only so many players who are big and able to move the way that Miller does.

Don’t be surprised if Jon-Eric Sullivan agrees and continues to invest in the trenches on both sides of the ball.