Now that the offense has been taken care of, it’s time to take a close look at who should be watched very carefully on defense once training camp begins. The team’s young talent is more centralized on this unit, and head coach Brian Flores has a defensive background. There’s no shortage of players to watch here, so let’s narrow it down to five.

Jerome Baker, LB

Baker brings a lot to the table that a lot of Miami’s other linebackers don’t. He’s fast, he can cover, and he can be wherever the ball is at any given moment. Those are traits that other Dolphins linebackers like Kiko Alonso and Raekwon McMillan struggle in. Now, however, there’s no telling what the plan is for Baker at this point. In the simplistic scheme run by Matt Burke, Baker’s role was clear. He was the one who ran around the field, chasing tight ends and running backs as an outside linebacker.

Many view Baker as the best linebacker on the roster as a result, but there is still some learning for him to do. Baker is sometimes a tad late when reacting to plays; his speed bails him out a lot in these situations, but that’s not something to count on. Fortunately, coach Flores believes Baker has learned from his rookie season and is on the fast track to further development.

Pick 6 for Jerome Baker off Sam Darnold. Mistakes continue to pour in for Darnold. Had another dropped INT earlier. pic.twitter.com/8teoyEklRW — Ian Wharton (@NFLFilmStudy) November 4, 2018

“He’s taken a little bit of a leadership role.” Flores said back in May. “He’s taken a step in that direction, he’s obviously smart, he’s very athletic. Again, his lateral quickness, as you mentioned, is good for the linebacker position. I think the challenge for him will be putting everything together. Really, the challenge for all of our players is consistency.”

Preaching consistency is a very New England thing to do, and it speaks volumes as to what Flores expects from his linebackers. Baker will be used a lot to be sure, but the question is how? One theory is that he and fellow Ohio State alum Raekwon McMillan would make a perfect pair as inside linebackers in a 3-4 defense. McMillan acting as the SAM linebacker (lined up wherever the tight end is on offense) with Baker as the WILL, cleaning up messes.

Seeing how the defense uses the linebackers in training camp, particularly Baker, will be interesting to say the least. There’s no telling what coach Flores has in mind for such a versatile player.

Xavien Howard, CB

This is an obvious pick. Xavien Howard is now the undisputed superstar of the Dolphins defense, signing a five year, $75.25 million extension on May 9. However, in spite of tying for first place in interceptions last season with seven, Howard is still being overlooked by a large portion of alleged NFL experts. Though there are some who acknowledge his ability.

Consider the release of the player ratings on the latest edition of EA’s Madden series. In that game, developers are tasked with assigning overall ratings to every player in the league. What did Miami’s superstar cornerback earn himself after all the work he put in?

An overall 83 ranking. Not even the best player on the roster. That honor is shared between Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills of all people, who both have an 84. Needless to say, Howard is being snubbed.

Great play by Xavien Howard to undercut the route and get this interception. pic.twitter.com/9ZzWzfOoYe — Eric Elizondo (@EricElizondo8) December 12, 2017

Why is this the case? The best theory is simply that Howard wears a Dolphins uniform. If he played in New England, he would be getting a lot more credibility. Yet in spite of the lack of respect being put on his name, Howard was still voted to the Pro Bowl in 2018. Now, with Miami projecting to use more press coverage, Howard stands to improve even more as he gets to do what he excels at.

Former defensive coordinator Matt Burke had an unhealthy obsession with zone coverage, sending his corners ten yards away from the line of scrimmage. That strategy allowed teams to punish Miami with short passes and methodically go down the field. Howard’s specialty is playing press, locking up a team’s top receiver and taking them out of the game. Howard managed to do that quite well in 2018.

That success is expected to continue in 2019, and he will prove that whoever is in charge of Madden ratings made a grave mistake ranking him so low.

Bobby McCain, DB

Everyone knows that Bobby McCain brings to the table. He’s one of the better slot cornerbacks in the NFL, and he’s not afraid to be aggressive. He can cover, he can go after quarterbacks on a blitz, and there’s never a moment where he’s not intense on the field.

So why choose him to watch in training camp over someone like Minkah Fitzpatrick? It’s because McCain is the subject of a coaching experiment this season. Reports say that McCain is getting time at a position he has no experience playing. Free safety.

One might wonder why the coaching staff would bother to make that move. McCain is a very good slot corner, why move him now? It’s very likely because Fitzpatrick is an even better slot corner, and only one can play that position at a time. Fitzpatrick spent the vast majority of his college career in the slot, only occasionally moving to safety. There’s a reason for that. So if Fitzpatrick has what it takes to be elite in the slot, it makes perfect sense why the coaches want to see if McCain can find another role.

Contrary to popular belief, McCain is not undersized for a free safety. He sizes up quite nicely with the likes of Tyrann Mathieu and Earl Thomas, whom experts consider the best at their positions. Therefore, there’s no reason to believe McCain can’t handle it. Training camp is the time for experimentation. If it turns out McCain can’t handle playing safety, then Fitzpatrick will just take over as he’s more versatile. McCain finding a new home at safety, however, upgrades the whole defense.

Charles Harris, DE/OLB

What can anyone say about Charles Harris at this point? Is he a bust? Does he need more time? As the heir to Cameron Wake’s throne, Harris is a disappointment. There’s no disputing that Harris has failed to live up to the expectations placed upon him, seeming more like another Dion Jordan than anything. The Dolphins can’t seem to find good pass rushers in the draft anymore. Nevertheless, with the departure of Wake to Tennessee, and veteran Robert Quinn traded to Dallas, Harris is the headlining pass rusher.

For better or worse.

There’s one last hope for Harris to revitalize his career, and that’s going back to doing what he did best in college. As the Dolphins shift to a hybrid defense, Harris will have chances to rush the passer standing up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4. That’s what Harris did best back at Missouri, which used a lot of 4-2-5 elements (four linebackers, two defensive tackles, five defensive backs) in their defense.

Since Harris isn’t making an impact as a defensive end with his hand in the dirt (again, parallels to Dion Jordan), perhaps he can contribute with the help of the 3-4 formation. This is why he needs watching in training camp this year. If he fails this time, it may be time to cut ties and chalk Harris up as another first round bust.

Vincent Taylor, DT

There are a lot of talented players on the interior of Miami’s defensive line. Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence, the newly-drafted Christian Wilkins…so why focus in on Vincent Taylor specifically? Simply put, Taylor is supremely talented, and only injuries have held him back.

In the 21 games he’s played since being drafted, Taylor has made 45 tackles, two sacks, and he’s shown a knack for blocking field goals. Even when he’s not increasing his numbers, Taylor finds ways to make things difficult for opposing quarterbacks.

Finishing up a new story for @5ReasonsSports, here's a sneak peek at one of the players featured in it that I'm really looking forward to seeing return to the field in 2019. pic.twitter.com/GDwjEGHiFd — Luis D. Sung (@LuisDSung) July 20, 2019

Durability is one of the few question marks in Taylor’s game at this point. Considering most draft scouts viewed him as a practice squad player at best, he’s quite the overachiever. Head coach Brian Flores had some good things to say about him as well.

“You see some athleticism. You see some strength. He’s got good size. He does a good job of staying on his feet.” he said back in early June. “Again, at that position, you said it. At that position, it’s hard to evaluate without putting pads on from a run-read standpoint, going from a run, play-action transition to a pass rush. These are things that are, until we get the pads on, there is no way to really evaluate it.”

With camp almost here, Flores will have all the chances he needs to see what Taylor can do. While everyone focuses on Wilkins and Godchaux – talented players in their own right, of course, Taylor’s return to training camp will hopefully come with even more domination, forcing opposing offensive lines to keep him at bay. That will open the way for the rest of the team. Taylor isn’t making headlines, but every team needs someone to do the dirty work.