Four Miami Dolphins who could be All-Pros next season
By Nick Belotto
Xavien Howard is the most obvious player on Miami’s roster to be on this list.
A 2020 All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year Candidate is the best player on this roster and is a true impact player on the defensive side of the ball. When he is healthy, he is a top corner in this league and one of the better “ball-hawks” at the position.
With all of the greatness that Howard brings to the position, a few issues could hamper him in 2021. The first is injuries.
Over the course of his career, Howard’s most consistent issue has been injuries. In his 5 years in the NFL, Howard has only played a full season twice. Howard will need to prove that he can remain healthy going into the NFL’s first 17 game season.
The second issue is that his desire for a new contract may keep him out of training camp. Without the necessary practices to get ready for the season, Howard may start slow and could struggle in the early part of the season. His lack of quality preseason reps could also lead to an injury issue, that would bring his All-Pro potential down.
When it comes to his contract extension, I fully expect Howard to be a Dolphin in 2021 and for him to be at training camp, at some point. If both of those things hold, Howard should be in a prime position to duplicate his success from the last season.