The Miami Dolphins have wrapped up their organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, so the players are off of the practice field until later in July when they return for training camp.
During this downtime for most teams, there will be a lot of discussions regarding player rankings, both within their own team and the league in general.
Pro Football Focus has been putting out their 2023 rankings for players at each position, and Gordon McGuinness was responsible for listing the top 32 defensive linemen in the NFL. The Dolphins had two representatives on the list – Christian Wilkins (No. 8) and Zach Sieler (No. 25).
Here’s what McGuinness wrote about Miami’s dominant defensive line pairing:
“Wilkins established himself as a top-10 interior defender in his fourth NFL season. PFF run-defense grades of 80.8 in 2021 and 78.9 in 2022 ranked him among the top four players at the position. Although stronger as a run defender, he has also produced 70.0-plus PFF pass-rushing grades in each of the past two seasons.
Arriving with the Dolphins during the 2019 season after he was claimed off waivers from the Ravens, Sieler set a career high with an 84.9 PFF grade in 2021. His 73.4 PFF grade in 2022 didn’t quite hit those heights, but his 944 snaps last season were over 400 more than any other season of his career and it was the second year in a row that he topped a 77.0 PFF run-defense grade.”
Wilkins and Sieler have been great in recent seasons against both the pass and run. Interestingly, the Dolphins have decisions to make on the duo, as they’re both entering contract years in 2023, along with fellow defensive lineman Raekwon Davis.
The two who made this list have been so good that Miami should really consider going above and beyond to make sure they’re both wearing aqua and orange for years to come. However, their fits in Vic Fangio’s defense may ultimately decide their fates if the team is unable to extend them before the season starts.
