Film Review: New Dolphins Linebacker Is Flying Under the Radar

The Miami Dolphins have struggled to find two consistent starting linebackers for a few seasons.

Last year, the team started with Jordyn Brooks and David Long Jr. But Long Jr. struggled so much that he was benched and then cut by midseason, leading the team to sign Tyrel Dodson, who was solid enough in limited snaps to earn a contract this offseason.

Besides bringing back Dodson, the Dolphins also signed Willie Gay Jr. from the Saints and K.J. Britt from the Buccaneers in an effort to remodel a room that has lacked depth.

Gay is a player who caught our eye because he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs for the first four seasons of his career. He’s already won two Super Bowls and played in nine postseason games, including the Dolphins’ wild-card loss against the Chiefs in the 2023 season.

Although he was a rotational player for Kansas City at times, he was a solid contributor. However, his numbers took a nosedive this past season with the Saints, as he played his fewest number of defensive snaps since his rookie season.

When we looked at the film, we saw a player who was actually played out of position for much of the 2024 season. Although he might not be the Dolphins’ starter in Week 1, there’s an opportunity for Gay to make an impact in Miami this season.

Let’s dive into the tape and see how Gay fits into Miami’s defense.

Gay Jr.’s Coverage Ability

One of the first things that stood out when watching Gay’s tape from last season was his ability to match tight ends and running backs in the short area of the field.

He ran a 4.41 40-yard dash coming out of Mississippi State, and it shows in his ability to close down gaps on quick flares or out routes. This rep against Cade Otton is a good example of Gay using his speed and instincts to close on a throw and make a pass breakup.

pic.twitter.com/NGrBSEcrMu
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) July 12, 2025

There’s nothing groundbreaking about that clip. It’s a standard “good” play for a middle linebacker, but outside of Jordyn Brooks, nobody on the Dolphins was making those plays last season.

David Long Jr. struggled in every area last season, but his struggles in shallow coverage (man or zone) were probably the most eye-popping.

Gay had another impressive rep in that game where he broke up a pass intended for running back Sean Tucker, who was running an angle route out of the backfield.

Tucker’s short motion gives him a running start and puts a lot of stress on Gay. This route is challenging for linebackers to defend, as they are not always physically able to match a running back’s quickness, and the running back has a two-way go (ability to cut inside or outside).

pic.twitter.com/m2UYMiveIl
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) July 12, 2025

However, Gay’s athletic ability shines through as he matches Tucker’s cut and makes the play on the ball for the pass breakup.

The Dolphins having a linebacker with the speed and athletic ability to erase some of these easier completions is significant. It gives them a ton of flexibility in obvious passing situations, especially considering the team’s secondary is pretty unproven.

Gay also shows a good ability to recover after play-action and shut down crossing routes coming across the field. He’s not perfect (it’s basically impossible for linebackers these days unless your name is Fred Warner), but he has solid awareness and speed to close down some of those windows.

That said, there are some caveats. Many of Gay’s best coverage plays feature him running forward. He’s not a linebacker who should just be left in man coverage against a tight end for an entire game.

He should be used in specific spots against specific players.

Gay Jr.’s Run Defense

The strangest part of Gay’s time with the Saints is how they decided to use him. He’s a prototype weakside (WILL) linebacker, a player with great speed and effort, but he can struggle to deal with blockers.

Despite that, the Saints gave Gay a lot of snaps on the line of scrimmage. He was lined up as an edge for a decent chunk of his snaps, and they asked to him to deal with quality blocking tight ends and full backs pretty consistently.

This was a mistake, as Gay was incredibly inconsistent in his ability to set the edge and shed blocks. He had a few nice plays, but it’s hard to justify that usage when it’s so clear it doesn’t maximize his strengths.

Instead, Gay would be much better served playing a traditional off-the-ball role with the Dolphins. This rep is a good example of what Gay can do against the run when he’s kept clean and allowed to shoot gaps.

pic.twitter.com/Me14cRVqaR
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) July 12, 2025

Obviously, you’d like to see him finish the tackle, but this is still an overwhelmingly positive play for the defense. The best use of Gay’s skills is to let him run sideline to sideline and to keep him clean upfront.

With the Dolphins’ heavy investment in strong run defenders, like Zach Sieler, Kenneth Grant, Benito Jones, and Jordan Phillips, Gay could be put in a much better position to succeed as a traditional off-ball linebacker in Miami.

That does come with some caveats, though. Gay’s inability to consistently stack and shed blocks will leave him vulnerable if Miami’s defensive line doesn’t execute perfectly.

The Final Word

Given how many teams are running the ball more, this might be the deciding factor between who starts next to Brooks in Week 1.

The game is shifting away from linebackers who can only run and cover. It’s still good to have a player with that skill set, especially if they're put in situations to be successful, but linebackers have to be more well-rounded than that to be high-impact starters.

In theory, Gay complements players like Dodson and Britt, who bring some more thump against the run.

Plus, if Dodson struggles or gets hurt, Gay is a young, experienced player who can fill multiple roles. The moment won’t be too big for him. The drop off from Brooks to Miami’s other linebackers last was too large.

Gay’s skill set makes the room a lot deeper and versatile. While the signing likely won’t garner a ton of fanfare, the film suggests that this was a good bargain for the Dolphins.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage