After the Miami Dolphins missed the playoffs in 2024, Mike McDaniel's job is far from safe heading into the 2025 season. Now it could be up to the team's defense to save his job, according to ESPN's Ben Solak .

While a high-flying offense has been the Dolphins' calling card during the McDaniel era, the team's output has consistently tailed off down the stretch. Miami finished the 2023 season No. 1 in the NFL in offensive yardage and were the only team to average more than 400 yards per game. But the Dolphins couldn't top 375 yards in the last five games of the regular season and managed only 264 in a 26-7 playoff loss against the Kansas City Chiefs .

I believe two things very strongly. First, McDaniel's work building an offense around QB Tua Tagovailoa is some of the best offensive scheming in the league. Second, his offense fades against truly great defenses, in cold weather and on the road -- in short, playoff football. The Dolphins need a strong season from their defense, which could have an extremely inexperienced and shaky secondary following a Jalen Ramsey trade, to make a postseason push. Otherwise, it'll be four seasons without a playoff victory under McDaniel -- tough to defend.

The Dolphins focused on their defensive line in the 2025 NFL draft, adding defensive tackle Kenneth Grant in Round 1 and following it up by adding two more tackles, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers, on Day 3. Miami is hopeful that those additions, coupled with the returns of Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb from injury, create a front seven capable of masking the secondary's inexperience.

There's still time for the Dolphins to add veteran help at cornerback, but for now, the team will be left with Storm Duck, Cam Smith, and Kader Kohou as their top options at the position following a Ramsey trade.