SI AllDolphins Preseason All-AFC East Team: Defense

Selecting preseason all-star teams, whether it be an all-NFL, all-conference or all-division team always is tricky because it involves projections.

Those projections, however, can become more than just guesses by combining an evaluation of past performance along with high-end potential.

With that in mind, we offer part two of the SI AllDolphins Preseason All-AFC East team, and it features three linemen and four linebackers because every team except the Bills use a 3-4 as the most prevalent alignment:

DEFENSE

• Defensive lineman: Quinnen Williams, N.Y. Jets — The third overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Williams had a good enough rookie season to think he's going to become a star.

• Defensive lineman: Steve McLendon, N.Y. Jets — McLendon isn't a well-known commodity because he does the grunt work in the middle of the Jets defensive line, but there's a reason they so were good against the run last year.

• Defensive lineman: Ed Oliver, Buffalo — Like Williams a top 10 pick in 2019, Oliver didn't make much of an impact early on as a rookie but he got better and better as the season progressed.

Runners-up: Jerry Hughes, Buffalo; Star Lotulelei, Buffalo; Davon Godchaux, Miami

• Linebacker: Dont'a Hightower, New England — The one holdover in the Patriots front seven, Hightower is a difference-maker. He probably should have been the MVP of New England's Super Bowl LIII victory against the Rams.

• Linebacker: Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo — The son of former Dolphins tight end Ferrell Edmunds, the 16th pick in the 2018 draft made the Pro Bowl in his second season.

• Linebacker: C.J. Mosley, N.Y. Jets — Mosley wasn't able to make an impact in his first year with the Jets because of an injury, but he's clearly a difference-maker.

• Linebacker: Kyle Van Noy, Miami — Van Noy was very good in a supporting role for the Patriots, and he now gets to move to center stage with the Dolphins.

Runners-up: Matt Milano, Buffalo; Jordan Jenkins, N.Y. Jets; Jerome Baker, Miami; A.J. Klein, Buffalo

• Cornerback: Stephon Gilmore, New England — Gilmore was the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Enough said.

• Cornerback: Tre'Davious White, Buffalo — White was just about as good as Gilmore was in 2019, and he's got the advanced metrics to prove it.

Runner-ups: Xavien Howard, Miami; Byron Jones, Miami

• Safety Jamal Adams, N.Y. Jets — There's a reason Adams' contract dispute has created such headlines. Adams just might be the best safety in the entire league.

• Safety Devin McCourty, New England — McCourty is a big reason the Patriots secondary has been so good for so many years.

Runner-ups: Micah Hyde, Buffalo; Eric Rowe, Miami

• Punter: Matt Haack, Miami — Lachlan Edwards of the Jets was the best punter in the AFC East last year, but he's a free agent. That leaves Haack and Jake Bailey, who had very similar numbers in 2019. But Haack had "Mountaineer Shot."

Runner-up: Jake Bailey, New England

• Kick returner: Jakeem Grant — The division has two elite returners in Grant and Andre Roberts, but we'll give Grant the edge because he's four years younger.

Runner-up: Andre Roberts, Buffalo

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.