Miami Dolphins: 3 players who could make the NFL Top 100 list in 2022

Emmanuel Ogbah

Should the Miami Dolphins’ defense continue their upward trajectory, then there will be at least a couple of members of the unit that are deserving of a spot on the 2022 list. Barring a jarring regression, Xavien Howard should make another appearance next season.

But who will join him?  There are plenty of young pieces on Brian Flores’ defense that have the potential to be high quality players in the future, many of whom would have to put together multiple solid years to be considered for the list. So who has already had Top 100-worthy seasons who could make an appearance on the next list by having a monster year in 2021?

One of the most productive players on the Dolphins’ defense last season was Emmanuel Ogbah. In his first season with Miami, the fifth-year defensive end accumulated the second-most tackles of his career with 42 combined, but it was his other numbers that stood out. He led the team in both total sacks (9) and QB hits (21), and contributed to the Dolphins’ being the league leader in takeaways with three forced fumble and one fumble recovery. When he doesn’t hit the quarterback, he can still be effective in the passing game, as he was one of six defensive ends with five or more pass deflections.

Ogbah may be expected to shoulder an even heavier load in 2021, which could give him a chance at even higher numbers this season. If he is able to duplicate last year’s efficiency on more reps, then Ogbah will have a valid argument for making the NFL’s Top 100 list in 2022.