Former Lions DT Benito Jones on returning to Miami: I wasn’t drafted here — I was undrafted here

The Miami Dolphins didn’t have to think much about a defensive tackle rotation with Zach Sieler and Christian Wilkins in the trenches. Both players ranked top five in snaps among defensive tackles last season, but things will look different in 2024 with Wilkins signing a monster contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Miami hopes to develop a rotation of players at defensive tackle under first-year coordinator Anthony Weaver and has already signed five players to help fill the void. One of those linemen, Benito Jones, returns to Miami after playing in 34 games throughout two seasons with the Detroit Lions.

“Those are some pretty big shoes (to fill) because he’s leaving,” Jones said of replacing Wilkins. “You just got to come in and set the bar how he had it. Christian is a heck of a player. When I first came in, he kind of took me under his wing as a young guy.

“I never saw myself kind of replacing him on the field. People always want to play with him or play beside him. I’m happy for him going to Las Vegas.”

Jones originally signed the Dolphins as an undrafted college free agent in 2020 and spent most of his first two seasons on the practice squad. He was waived on Aug. 30 2022 and claimed by Detroit the following day.

“This is the place that I (started),” he said of his memories of South Florida. “I wasn’t drafted here. I was undrafted here. Austin Clark stood out to me. He knew some of the coaches that I knew from college and just got me here. I learned a lot from him.

“My memories here were I made my first tackle here. That was something we’d always talk about. He’d always say he would coach me here at some point someday. We just never knew I would be coming back this year. Just coming back here where it all started, that’s great for me.”

Jones set a career-best of 26 tackles in 2023 and started 15 games for the Lions, finishing the season with five games with at least two quarterback hurries. His role in Miami isn’t known, but he’s willing to step in wherever needed.

“I’m never going to sit here and say I’m just a nose guard or here or there,” Jones said. “You’ve just got to come in and go to work in OTAs and training camp, and pretty much fight for a job.”