Miami Dolphins: Schedule, record prediction, X-factors for 2021 NFL season

Predicting Miami Dolphins 2021 Statistical Leaders

Receiving Yards: Will Fuller

The 2020 NFL season was a massive improvement for the Dolphins the year prior. Their record improved by a margin of five winning games. They cut their total points conceded almost in half. They developed a number of stars on the defensive end. Where the team was let down was on offensive execution.

The team was crying out for elite finishers, as a combination of Fitzpatrick and Tagovailoa couldn’t land targets when it really mattered. The franchise’s front office recognized this fact over the offseason and set about altering the team’s win conditions. Relieving pressure on the defense by providing elite playmakers will allow the team to thrive across the board. This change started to be accomplished by bringing in Will Fuller in free agency.

In five years with the Texans, Fuller demonstrated his ability to be a game-changer. Across his career, he has had 9.3 yards per target. He has had 24 touchdowns and over 3,000 total yards. In 2020, Fuller achieved a career year for numbers despite starting just 11 games, with career highs of 53 catches, 879 yards and eight touchdowns.

These numbers would have led the Dolphins in 2020. The promise of his production improving even further in the coming year is an enticing one for Dolphins’ fans, and he will be gunning for the No. 1 receiver position for the season.

Tackles: Jerome Baker 

The Dolphins’ defense was key to their success in the 2020 season. The team had the best third-down defensive performance in the entire NFL (31.2 percent opposition success), Miami’s best mark since 1999. They had a +66 points differential, their best franchise mark since 2002. They had a large number of forced fumbles and spread the defensive load across multiple positions. Many players had 50+ tackles on the team.

The improvements across the board made by Flores in 2020 mean it’s one of the strongest aspects of the franchise heading into 2021. With a more difficult schedule and a better caliber of opponents, the defense will need to be just as mean in the coming season. There is no reason that linebacker Jerome Baker won’t be a force of nature again.

Last season marked the second year in a row for Baker to make 100+ tackles for the Dolphins. Having only played three seasons in his NFL career so far, the sample size indicates that Baker will be a perennial performer on the defensive side of the ball. Baker had 116 tackles across last season, and he protected a large swathe of the pitch with this aggression.

Not only did he tackle a lot, but he also tackled effectively from the linebacker position, recording 7 sacks through the year. He is a leader for the defensive unit, not only playing with intensity but playing on a large majority of snaps. He was on the field for over 80 percent of plays last year. He has set a high standard for himself. Expect it to continue through the 2021 season.