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Dolphins Bring Back Defensive Starter

Benito Jones will head into the second year of his second stint in Miami

Dante Collinelli

Miami Dolphins DT Benito Jones (95) chases Buffalo Bills running back James Cook at Highmark Stadium in Week 9 of the 2024 season.
Miami Dolphins DT Benito Jones (95) chases Buffalo Bills running back James Cook at Highmark Stadium in Week 9 of the 2024 season. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins are bringing back a familiar face next season.

The team announced Thursday it had re-signed nose tackle Benito Jones. He was a consistent contributor for the Dolphins in 2024, making 15 starts and playing in all 17 games. Jones recorded 24 total tackles and four tackles for loss.

Jones’ modest stats are mostly a product of his role. He’s asked to eat blocks and make the lives of other players easier. Still, he showed some improvement in 2024, logging a career-best pressure rate and run-stop rate.

Jones signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL draft and appeared in just six games. After not playing in 2021, Jones caught on with the Detroit Lions in 2022 and appeared in 34 games with 17 starts across two seasons in Detroit.

The Dolphins’ interior defensive line room is one of the team’s thinnest position groups, so bringing Jones back makes plenty of sense. He’ll join Zach Sieler as the only other player who has contributed significant snaps in recent seasons.

Miami’s Future IDL Options

Perhaps the biggest question with Jones’ return is whether this changes the team’s plans for the upcoming NFL draft. Many mock drafts have slated the Dolphins as a team that could select Michigan nose tackle Kenneth Grant at No. 13 overall.

They’ve also been tied to other nose tackles like Alfred Collins (Texas), Jordan Phillips (Maryland) and Jamaree Caldwell (Oregon) on Days 2 and 3. Our most recent seven-round mock draft had the team selecting Collins at No. 48 overall.

The Dolphins still need a lot of depth in the interior defensive line room, but nose tackle, specifically, could be something the team doesn’t consider. Miami needs a more versatile presence to replace Calais Campbell, who was a consistent starter last season, if he ends up retiring or signing with another team as a free agent.

The Dolphins also need to add a few players who can back up Sieler and the other starting interior player. Jones isn’t a long-term answer at nose tackle, but teams don’t usually double down at that position.

Of course, there’s a chance the Dolphins see someone like Grant as more than a nose tackle. He does have impressive athletic ability for his size. There’s also a chance they view Grant as the best player available and draft him with the plan of releasing Jones before the final roster cuts.

Either way, the Dolphins had to do something to start filling out the defensive tackle room before the draft. Bringing back someone like Jones, who knows the system and was a fine contributor last season, is smart.

DOLPHINS 2025 FREE AGENT SCORECARD
as of Thursday, March 20, 11 a.m.

Agreed to terms (12)
QB Zach Wilson (Denver)
G James Daniels (Pittsburgh)
OL Larry Borom (Chicago)
S Ifeatu Melifonwu (Detroit)
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (Tennessee)
S Ashtyn Davis (N.Y. Jets)
LB K.J. Britt (Tampa Bay)
RB Alexander Mattison (Las Vegas)
TE Pharaoh Brown (Seattle)
P Ryan Stonehouse (Tennessee)
CB Artie Burns (Seattle)
LB Willie Gay Jr. (New Orleans)

Re-signed (8)
DT Matt Dickerson
S Elijah Campbell
OLB Quinton Bell
LB Tyrel Dodson
G/T Jackson Carman
WR Dee Eskridge
OL Liam Eichenberg
DT Benito Jones

Lost to another team (7)
WR Braxton Berrios (Houston)
G Robert Jones (Dallas)
S Jevon Holland (N.Y. Giants)
TE Jack Stoll (New Orleans)
LB Anthony Walker Jr. (Tampa Bay)
DT Da'Shawn Hand (L.A. Chargers)
CB Siran Neal (San Francisco)

Remaining UFAs (14)
QB Tyler Huntley
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
WR River Cracraft
WR Anthony Schwartz
WR Grant DuBose
T Kendall Lamm
G Isaiah Wynn
DT Calais Campbell
EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah
EDGE Tyus Bowser
EDGE Cam Brown
LB Duke Riley
S Jordan Poyer
LS Jake McQuaide

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Dante Collinelli
DANTE COLLINELLI

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