5 players who Dolphins need to be great in 2020

3. Shaq Lawson

The Dolphins got tired of playing against Lawson twice a year inside the division, so they gave him a three-year, $30 million deal to become their primary edge rusher. It’s imperative for Flores and his defensive staff that Lawson grows into a double-digit sack artist immediately.

It’s important to observe that the Dolphins had almost no credible edge rushing threats last season. Taco Charlton led the team with five sacks in 10 games. Charlton was waived by the team after the draft before being signed by the Chiefs on a one-year, make good deal.

The real question about Lawson is whether or not he can anchor the team’s entire defensive line. Last year’s first round pick Christian Wilkins is still entirely unproven. It’s very likely that second round pick Raekwon Davis is going to start for the team at nose tackle. That puts a ton of pressure on Lawson to take on double teams and still produce pressure on a high percentage of passing downs.

The addition of Kyle Van Noy at linebacker should help to cover up some of those issues. He’ll serve as the team’s primary edge rusher on the other side of Lawson. That doesn’t change the reality that Lawson needs to get 10 sacks or more to make his contract pay off for the Dolphins. It’s a risky bet for Miami but it’s a gamble they had to make.