The Miami Dolphins continue to undergo a seismic defensive shakeup. With the 2025 NFL Draft now complete and Jalen Ramsey trade talks looming, the Dolphins will look to start fresh with the new and trade the old.
With a flurry of defensive moves over the past few weeks, all eyes are on GM Chris Grier, who is navigating this uncertain future for the Dolphins with a firm belief he can reshape the defense and deliver the goods.
Jalen Ramsey Trade
The Miami Dolphins are expected to continue their exploration in trading used-to-be cornerstone All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey, who joined the team in 2023 and played all 17 games last season.
Ramsey enjoyed another high-caliber season on the boundary, per PFF and, from the outside, looking in, it is a decision that GM Chris Grier was scrutinized for even entertaining. After all, Ramsey had signed a recent three-year, $72.3 million dollar extension in September 2024, which is a move that screams commitment.
However, at 31 years old and carrying a hefty cap hit, Ramsey’s best days could be numbered in the coming seasons and the Dolphins are showing they want to press the ejection button sooner than anticipated. As National NFL Insider Cameron Wolfe reported, “The marriage is essentially dissolved” between the Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey.
With Ramsey’s incoming departure, a giant hole will be left at the cornerback position, which begs to wonder: Can the Dolphins afford to open more holes on defense?
NFL Draft Additions
The Dolphins’ recent selections in the NFL Draft only fuel the direction of change that will usher in a new direction on defense.
Miami used it’s first-round pick on defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. Grant, who was a standout at the University of Michigan, will fill the giant black hole the Dolphins have at the defensive tackle position.
A 331-pound enforcer, Grant is expected to make an immediate impact to help take the pressure off the defensive backfield and put his bullying style of play to work. As much as help was needed within the defensive interior, it was the Dolphins’ fifth-round pick that signaled a deeper shift on the horizon.
Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr will arguably be the biggest story moving forward in the Dolphins’ offseason, as he will be relied on to help replace the upcoming departure of Jalen Ramsey.
A local player out of the University of Florida, Marshall is known for his size, instincts and zone-coverage ability that will bring some needed depth to an already thin cornerback room.
Alongside returning cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Cam Smith, Marshall will give the Dolphins a young, cost-effective trio who will all hopefully develop into an emerging secondary.
Behind The Scenes
The executives and coaches deciding the new defensive direction will be just as heavily under the microscope as the players will be once they take the field.
GM Chris Grier has been rumored to be very much on the “hotseat” entering this season and if the Dolphins continue to fall short of expectations, Grier could find himself out of Miami.
Anthony Weaver, in his first year as Miami’s defensive coordinator, brings a new scheme and priorities to the field. His direction shift appears to favor stout, front-seven aggression, which will work well with a young and raw secondary.
With Ramsey’s exit imminent and a fresh crop of young defensive players looming, the defense is clearly undergoing calculated reconstruction, which GM Chris Grier insists is not a “rebuild” as the Miami Herald reported.
It is clear the Dolphins are not just tweaking their defense, they’re turning the page.
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