Five Defensive Line Free Agent Targets for the Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins need a lot of help on the interior defensive line. With the legal negotiating period for free agency starting Monday, they’ll have a chance to add some talented players.

The Dolphins have budding star Zach Sieler locked up, but Calais Campbell, Benito Jones and Da'Shawn Hand are unrestricted free agents. That means the Dolphins need another starter and some depth.

We’ve decided to cover Miami’s five best free agent options at interior defensive line. It should be noted that we highlighted Poona Ford in a recent article, so we’ll be naming some different players for his list.

Dolphins Top 5 Interior Defensive Line Targets

Bobby Brown III, Los Angeles Rams

The Dolphins lacked a reliable nose tackle last season, and it came back to haunt them a few times. Brown is one of the more interesting run stuffers on the market this offseason after three years with the Los Angeles Rams.

Brown played a career-high 513 snaps in 2024 and was one of the Rams’ best run defenders. At 6-4, 324 pounds, he’s incredibly difficult to move in the middle of the line. He’s also got a surprising amount of quickness to make disruptive plays in the backfield.

He’s recorded 6.5 run stuffs in the past two seasons, which is pretty good for a rotational player. However, Brown’s true value will come outside of the box score.

His ability to two-gap would open things up for other defensive linemen and give Miami’s linebackers space to make plays behind the line.

The question for Brown is whether he can add more to his game as a pass rusher. He didn’t have sacks last season and only recorded three total pressures. Brown noted on Twitter (X) that his role didn’t ask him to win much as a pass rusher, implying he could do more if given the chance.

The Dolphins would be wise to give him that chance. He won’t turn 25 until August and, at worst, is a stalwart run defender next to Zach Sieler. If defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver can unlock Brown’s pass-rush ability, Miami could end up with a huge steal.

D.J. Jones, Denver Broncos

If the Dolphins are looking for a stalwart run defender with a more proven track record, Jones fits the bill.

Before spending the last three seasons with the Broncos, Jones spent the first five seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, overlapping with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel from 2017 through 2021. McDaniel never coached Jones directly, but they’re likely at least familiar with one another.

Jones is coming off a productive season with the Broncos. He recorded 29 run stops and 18 quarterback pressures last season. Like Brown, Jones’ box score numbers aren’t impressive. He had just one sack last season and didn’t cause any fumbles.

However, Jones’ tape is incredibly good. He consistently stacks and sheds blocks in the running game, keeping his linebackers clean when they’re coming downhill.

One stat where Jones will undoubtedly help the Dolphins is tackling. Miami’s defense struggled with tackling at all three levels last season, but Jones had a missed tackle percentage of just 12.3 last season, and he only missed seven total tackles.

Jones will be 30 when next season starts, so he’s probably not someone the Dolphins want to sign to a long-term contract. That said, a one or two-year deal would make a lot of sense, as Jones would be an immediate contributor.

Levi Onwuzurike, Detroit Lions

If the Dolphins are looking at more pass rush juice on the interior, Onwuzurike could be a good option. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Washington, Onwuzurike had his best and most productive season in 2024.

He played a career-high 697 snaps and recorded 47 quarterback pressures along with 20 run stops. Now, Onwuzurike’s traditional stats are not as impressive, which is likely why he’s hitting the open market in the first place.

Despite having 47 pressures, he had just 1.5 sacks last season and one forced fumble. The Dolphins would want more production from a perspective free agent, but there’s some reason to believe Onwuzurike is an ascending player.

His pass rush grades have improved each season, and although he’s not known for his run defense, those grades have also improved. Additionally, Onwuzurike is a more versatile option than most free agent defensive linemen.

Last season, he played 276 snaps as a traditional interior lineman, 126 reps lining up outside the offensive tackle, and 283 snaps lined up over the offensive tackle. Given the Dolphins’ lack of depth, Onwuzurike could help them in several roles.

Calais Campbell filled the more versatile defensive line role last season, and while it’s unlikely Onwuzurike is as good as Campbell in Year 1, he’s just 27 years old.

He’s a bit of an unconventional option, but given his age and ascending play, Onwuzurike could be a great under-the-radar addition.

B.J. Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Hill’s claim to fame is consistency. Since the Giants selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft, he’s been a mainstay on the defensive line.

His career took off a bit during the past four seasons with the Bengals, but he’s mostly been the same player his whole career. Hill provides a bit more of a balanced skillset.

On 710 snaps last season, he recorded 32 quarterback pressures and 29 run stops. He also recorded three sacks and four batted passes. Hill’s appeal to the Dolphins would likely be as part of a heavy rotation.

Cincinnati’s run defense struggled last season, and while Hill wasn’t completely responsible for that, asking him to be a primary starter next to Sieler probably isn’t ideal. However, pairing him with someone like Jones or Brown would be much more interesting.

Hill is a high-floor, low-ceiling player. He doesn’t have much upside at this point in his career, but he’s also not much of a risk.

Hill could also be a good option if the Dolphins want to add an interior defensive lineman early in the 2025 NFL draft. Hill could serve as a mentor and take some of the strain off whatever rookie the Dolphins select.

It’s also hard to imagine Hill costing the Dolphins too much. Hill would not be a flashy signing, but the Dolphins could do worse as they fill out their depth chart.

Roy Lopez, Arizona Cardinals

Roy Lopez makes sense if the Dolphins don’t want to invest any long-term or high-priced resources into the nose tackle position. He’s played at least 350 snaps in all four of his seasons, spending the last two with Arizona and his first two with the Texans.

Lopez is not a high-impact player, but he does have the size (6-2, 318 pounds) and skill set to be an effective run defender. Last season, he accounted for 14 run stops and 18 quarterback pressures.

Last season was somewhat of a down year for Lopez. In 2023, he recorded 24 run stops with a missed tackle rate of just 12.5. That number shot up to 23.1 percent this past season, likely why some of Lopez’s numbers dipped.

Signing Lopez to fill one of the defensive line spots would likely allow the Dolphins to allocate more money to other positions and put Miami in a position to prioritize the interior defensive line in the draft.

Lopez could also be paired with another free agent interior defensive lineman who is a little more consistent. He’s not an overly appealing option, but Miami has too many needs. It’ll have to make concessions in some spots.