One of the biggest moves of the NFL offseason was defensive lineman Christian Wilkins departing the Miami Dolphins for a massive payday with the Las Vegas Raiders. Wilkins has widely been regarded as one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL over the last few seasons. But his old teammate, defensive lineman Zach Sieler, has quietly been one of the very best too. Wilkins’ departure leaves the door wide open for Sieler to become a name everyone in the league is familiar with.
Miami Dolphins DL Zach Sieler poised to become household name
Similar statical production
Both players are just 28 years old despite being drafted a year apart, with Sieler being picked in 2018 and Wilkins in 2019, and have near-identical stats in their careers thus far. While Sieler was drafted a year earlier, his journey to the league was much different. A seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens out of Ferris State, he was the first player drafted in Bulldogs history, which meant he had a much steeper climb to even make a roster than Wilkins, who was taken in the first round by Miami in 2019.
After getting released by the Ravens, however, he quickly found a home with the Dolphins where he and Wilkins became a formidable duo on the defensive front. In five fewer career games (Sieler 76, Wilkins 81), he has just one half-sack less (20.5 to 21), the same amount of forced fumbles (four), and just two fewer fumble recoveries.
Wilkins does have a substantial lead in solo tackles.
However, Sieler has posted an overall grade of 80.8 from Pro Football Focus, since joining Miami in 2019 from the waiver wire and notched the league’s third-highest grade by an interior defensive lineman in 2021. The linemen also posted similar production in tackles for loss last season (Sieler 36, Wilkins 43) and both racked up 50 quarterback hits. For the second consecutive season, Sieler was also a steady and reliable force playing over 900 snaps.
Still underrated
Ahead of the 2023 season, PFF ranked Sieler as the most underrated player on the Dolphins roster. They cited many of the stats above, including how he excels at stopping the run. Despite following up 2023 with a stellar 2024 campaign, he finds himself on PFF’s list of most underrated players once again. While his play may deserve more acclaim from the public than he’s received, playing next to the more well-known Wilkins for his career has played a part in it flying under the radar. He now has the opportunity to take over a leadership role on not just the line, but the entire defense as well.
Phenomenal value
Before the 2023 season, Sieler inked a brand new extension with Miami worth up to $36.8 million, a great payday, but one that seems microscopic compared to the deal Wilkins signed in Vegas just a few months ago. When the stats are compared side by side, it’s easy to see the value Sieler brings to the Dolphins, not only on the field but in the salary cap as well considering what Las Vegas shelled out to sign Wilkins.
Sieler and Wilkins are great friends and the impact of the two not playing side by side remains to be seen, but Sieler is confident he and the Dolphins defensive line will continue to see success.
This may lead to not just another payday for Sieler, but also lead to him seeing his name continue to climb the list of top interior defenders in the game. His success and continual growth show the Dolphins should be confident that any potential void left by Wilkins isn’t very big with Sieler spearheading their line.
Main Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
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