Defensive tackle Benito Jones departed the Dolphins initially as a player in the early stages of development and rarely utilized, implying his career might linger uncertain on the fringe. He now re-joins as a recognized starter in the NFL on a playoff-bound team. The key query revolves around whether Jones can evolve into a solid part-time starter for Miami, aiming to match the caliber of former Dolphins nose tackle Raekwon Davis. The standard isn’t set exceptionally high; despite Davis showcasing flashes of brilliance, analytical platforms positioned him as average at best or even below par compared to other starting NFL counterparts
paraphrase:Pro Football Focus ranked Davis 79th of 130 interior defensive linemen last season. Jones was ranked 124th after starting 15 games for the Lions. So Jones returns with one season of starting now on his resume, but with a lot to prove, also.
“I think I grew a lot,” he said of his 34 games and 15 starts with Detroit in two seasons there. “Just going out and being with another organization and seeing how they play” was helpful. One reason why Jones was viewed by the Dolphins as a better fit than Davis: Money. Jones agreed to a one-year, $1.79 million deal (all guaranteed). He was considerably cheaper than Davis, who landed a two-year, $16 million deal ($7 million guaranteed) with the Colts after starting seven games for Miami last season and 48 over four seasons. Davis wanted to return, but the Dolphins weren’t interested at that price tag.
How did Davis and Jones stack up on the field last season? Despite playing 69 fewer snaps, Davis managed to outperform Jones in tackles, with 28 compared to Jones’ 26, and trailed by just one tackle for loss (two for Davis, three for Jones). Jones received a dismal 31.5 run defense grade from PFF last season, ranking him among the bottom performers at his position, while Davis earned a more respectable 54.1 grade.
Their performance as pass rushers was quite similar, with Jones registering 19 pressures and a sack, while Davis recorded 23 pressures and half a sack. Jones logged 567 defensive snaps, whereas Davis played 498. PFF uses a metric called run stops, which assesses players’ ability to disrupt plays considered unfavorable for the offense based on various factors. Despite playing more snaps, Jones only managed 10 stops compared to Davis’ 15 stops. This aspect could be a cause for concern from the Dolphins’ perspective.
After going undrafted from Mississippi, Jones secured a deal with Miami right after the 2020 draft. During his rookie season, he was promoted several times from the practice squad and eventually signed to the active roster in December.
He showcased his skills in 48 defensive snaps over six games, tallying two tackles. However, instead of progressing from that point, his development hit a standstill. Throughout 2021, he remained on the practice squad without making any appearances in games. Despite this setback, Miami retained him for the subsequent offseason and training camp.
Nevertheless, they chose to release him on August 30, 2021. Without delay, the Lions claimed him the following day. In 2022, he saw action in 311 defensive snaps as a backup, and in the following season, he earned 567 snaps as a starter.
He is considered a potential replacement for nose tackle Davis, not Christian Wilkins, but he emphasized his versatility by stating, “I’m never going to sit here and say I’m just a nose guard.
I’ll play both if I have to.” Returning to Miami holds significant meaning for him as he expressed, “This is the place that I [started]. I wasn’t drafted here. I was undrafted here. I made my first tackle here. Just coming back here where it all started, that’s great for me
“He was familiar with some of the coaches I had in college and helped facilitate my arrival here. I gained valuable knowledge from him. He always mentioned coaching me here sometime in the future.
We never expected it to happen this year. He is fully committed to providing all the necessary resources for me to succeed on the field. I have great admiration for him.” In addition to Jones, the Dolphins have three other nose guards on their roster: experienced Da’Shawn Hand, second-year player Brandon Pili, and Daviyon Nixon, who has accumulated 144 defensive snaps for Carolina in the last two seasons.
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