Miami Dolphins veteran linebacker Willie Gay spoke about the linebacker room, pointing to the versatility of linebacker Kyle Louis.
The Miami Dolphins may have many questions on the roster, but one of the biggest strengths is the linebacker room. Anchored by Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, and Willie Gay Jr., the team also brought in rookie talent who can offer even more playmaking abilities.
Gay joined the "Drive Time" podcast to discuss the versatility of the group, but pointed to what he has seen from rookie Kyle Louis. Louis is a converted defensive back who also plays linebacker, making him a dream for sub packages.
"Kyle Louis. He is out there looking like a cornerback sometimes, but he can hit like a linebacker," Gay said.
Louis became one of the most intriguing draft picks the Dolphins selected, due to his nature of being a dual-threat defender. That ability was clearly something that stuck out to general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley.
Louis picked up 10 sacks and six interceptions through four seasons at Pitt, and that kind of interchangeable skill set is what the Miami brass preached about finding when this rebuild began.
The rookie is now part of a room that could be one of the strengths of the defense and the entire team.
"We versatile ... everybody else, JB, Trey Moore, we can get on the line of scrimmage, set the edge, blitz off the edge, pass rush, however we need to be used. We can make it count and make it so that we are not one-dimensional," Gay said.
Gay did not mention Jacob Rodriguez, but the rookie is also a player to watch out for. He has already received rave reviews from Brooks, who referred to him as "different."
The Dolphins are likely to lean heavily on the linebacker unit due to the pass rushers on the team. Chop Robinson, Josh Uche, and David Ojabo are the main rushers, but all have had limited success in recent years.
A solid pass rush and linebacker unit is also needed due to the even bigger questions in the secondary. Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr. remain injured, but could be ready to go during training camp.
Miami cannot afford another season where multiple cornerbacks are ruled out due to injury, so a player like Louis makes even more sense. If he can excel at both being a line of scrimmage linebacker along with sub package safety play, his selection will seem even more of a genius move by the front office.
