Miami Dolphins Preview: Earl Mitchell

On Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins held mandatory mini-camp. the first of a three day schedule. Leading up to to date, the Dolphins have made feasible changes to their defensive line compared to last year’s depth chart, but one question remains: how will Earl Mitchell hold up on the defensive line?

Drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, Mitchell was selected by the Houston Texans, where he played for four seasons prior to signing with Miami in the 2o14 offseason. Mitchell accumulated 3.5 sacks in 17 starts with the Texans, Mitchell’s meeting with Miami sounded like a revival to his career.

2014 Review:

Mitchell had high expectations entering the 2014 season after earning a top spot on the defensive depth, however the season would not leave the Dolphin’s coaching staff satisfied. Mitchell started only 4 of the Dolphin’s 16 games last season, and took down both Phillip Rivers and Kyle Orton, his only two sacks of the season. Considering Mitchell played a slightly different position as opposed to his previous two season with Houston (where he primarily played nose tackle), Mitchell filled in a position of need for the Dolphins in 2014.

2015 Preview:

With a shake-up in the depth of the defensive line, Mitchell has become lost in the shuffle of defensive tackles fighting for a position. In the second round of the 2015 NFL draft, the Dolphins drafted defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma, a 6’5″, 330 lb. physical presence on the core of the defensive line. With the addition of Phillips and Ndamukong Suh, Mitchell may find himself in a role-playing position, similar to his role in Houston.

One thing Mitchell did not have in Houston, but will have in Miami is a degree. After leaving the University of Arizona with only six classes separating him from graduation, Mitchell took his offseason to ultimately earn his degree, and walk the commencement stage with a degree in social behavior and human understanding, a huge accomplishment as cited by Mitchell.

But back to football…

Depending on Mitchell’s role throughout minicamps and training camp in late July, Mitchell will likely be on the field in the latter half of games, to give players such as Suh or Phillips a needed rest. Of course, Mitchell’s role depends on a variety of other factor’s, including Phillips’ training camp production, and the potential impact of players like C.J. Mosley or Anthony Johnson.

Ultimately, one aspect of Mitchell’s game that needs improvement is his consistency. Throughout his career Mitchell has flashed potential, whereas other games Mitchell’s presence was relatively non-existant.  If Mitchell can prove himself through camp and the preseason, Mitchell may find himself a starting role day one.