Dolphins Camp Preview: Safeties

The Miami Dolphins made a variety of modifications this offseason hoping to make the playoffs for the primary time since 2017 and win a playoff sport for the primary time since 2000.

The group employed former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its head coach, acquired extremely touted offensive gamers like offensive deal with Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill, and stored their total 2021 beginning protection collectively.

With the intention to put together followers for a pivotal season, we’ve determined to interrupt down every positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for every participant, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.

We wrap up our sequence with the safeties.

DOLPHINS SAFETY OUTLOOKS

Jevon Holland

2021 Stats: 69 whole tackles, 2 INTs, 10 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, 2.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss

2022 Outlook: Miami chosen Holland within the second spherical of the 2021 NFL draft out of Oregon, and he shortly grew to become the group’s beginning free security. Holland’s function this season ought to stay unchanged.

His major job will probably be to patrol deep zones and assist Miami’s cornerbacks in man protection. He’s versatile sufficient to see reps in man protection, and he’s a adequate run defender to play close to the road of scrimmage.

Holland is a chess piece who can transfer round whereas additionally filling one of the vital important roles (free security) in Miami’s heavy cover-one protection.

Brandon Jones

2021 Stats: 79 whole tackles, 1 INT, 1 move defended, 1 compelled fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss

2022 Outlook: Jones grew to become an essential piece of Miami’s blitz packages final season as he led all NFL safeties in sacks.

Jones’ function in 2022 will probably be centered round his skill to play within the field, defend the run, and assault downhill as an additional move rusher. If Jones desires to change into a extra full robust security, he’ll have to enhance his man protection expertise.

Eric Rowe

2021 Stats: 71 whole tackles, 4 passes defended, 3 compelled fumbles

2022 Outlook: Rowe noticed his begins drop from 14 in 2020 to 4 in 2021 because of Jones’ enchancment in his second season.

Nevertheless, Rowe continues to be Miami’s best choice at robust security on the subject of protecting tight ends. In at the moment’s NFL, that is a vital trait to have, and it’s what Rowe will probably be tasked with doing once more in 2022.

Rowe is within the remaining yr of his contract, so he may not stay with the group long run, particularly if Jones takes one other appreciable bounce in play this season.

Sheldrick Redwine

2021 Stats (New York Jets/Dolphins): 6 video games performed, 8 whole tackles

2022 Outlook: Redwine joined the Dolphins in October of final season after enjoying two video games with the Jets.

Redwine, who attended the College of Miami, may have a chance to compete for a backup security spot throughout coaching camp and must play on particular groups.

Clayton Fejedelem

2021 Stats: 17 video games performed, 7 whole tackles

2022 Outlook: Fejedelem is certainly one of Miami’s higher particular groups gamers and was a group captain final season.

There’s nothing to counsel his function as a particular groups ace and locker room chief will change in 2022.

Verone McKinley III

2021 School Stats (Oregon): 77 whole tackles, 6 INTs, 6 passes defended, 1 deal with for loss, 1 fumble restoration

2022 Outlook: McKinley signed with the Dolphins as a UDFA following the 2022 draft. He was teammates with Jevon Holland at Oregon and had a draftable grade from a number of nationwide draft analysts.

McKinley has a chance to compete for Miami’s major backup free security place and in addition make the roster as a particular groups contributor.

Elijah Campbell

2021 Stats: 7 video games performed and a couple of whole tackles

2022 Outlook: Miami claimed Campbell off waivers from the New York Jets in September 2021. Campbell missed chunk of final season after being positioned on injured reserve on Nov. 27.

This season, he’ll present Miami with one other contributor on particular groups whereas getting an opportunity to compete for a depth security spot throughout coaching camp as soon as he comes off the non-football damage record.

DOLPHINS SAFETY SUPERLATIVES

Greatest Man Protection: Jevon Holland

Greatest Zone Protection: Jevon Holland

Greatest Ball Expertise: Jevon Holland

Greatest Go Rusher: Brandon Jones

Most Versatile: Jevon Holland

Most Underrated: Eric Rowe

KEY DOLPHINS QUESTIONS AT SAFETY?

Will Brandon Jones take the subsequent step in his improvement?

Jones burst onto the scene final season as certainly one of Miami’s finest blitzers, as his 5 sacks led all NFL safeties. His athletic skill and downhill explosiveness permit him to line up anyplace on the protection and get into the backfield shortly.

That makes him a quintessential match for Miami’s hyper-aggressive protection. With that stated, Jones continues to be a security, which implies he must be a powerful protection participant able to dealing with completely different assignments seamlessly.

If Jones goes to change into a whole security, he’ll have to enhance his protection skill. Final season, he was focused 25 occasions and gave up 22 receptions for an 88 p.c allowed completion share.

That quantity led all NFL safeties who took not less than 300 protection reps final season. Jones additionally allowed 13.9 yards per reception, which ranked seventeenth amongst safeties.

Jones’ expertise complement Holland’s nicely as they’ll masks one another’s weak factors, however Jones changing into higher in protection can open up so many prospects for Miami’s protection.

He and Holland can be extra interchangeable, that means the protection would tip its hand much less pre-snap. Proper now, if Jones is hovering across the line of scrimmage, offenses can assume he’s blitzing. If he doesn’t, they’ll simply choose on him in protection.

Who will probably be Miami’s fourth security?

Miami’s first three safeties are greater than probably set in stone. Holland is the free security, Jones is the robust security who performs within the field, and Rowe is answerable for protecting tight ends.

Nevertheless, the depth chart behind every of these gamers is much less sure. There’s not a lot expertise within the group vying for backup duties at security. Fejedelem is probably the most skilled of the bunch, however he’s primarily a particular groups participant.

That leaves Redwine, Campbell, McKinley, and a few of the gamers listed at “DB” on Miami’s roster like Keion Crossen and Quincy Wilson.

Crossen and Wilson have performed largely cornerback of their profession, so their security expertise is proscribed at finest. Redwine and Campbell have mixed for 16 profession video games with chunk of Campbell’s reps approaching particular groups.

That leaves McKinley, who could be positioned to make the 53-man roster as a UDFA. McKinley isn’t the quickest participant (4.65 40-yard sprint) or the most important participant (5-10 and 192 kilos), however his school movie reveals an NFL-caliber participant.

He’s not often misplaced in protection, has good ball expertise (had 6 INTs in 2021), and is a tricky run defender regardless of his bodily limitations.

Whether or not McKinley has a formidable camp or certainly one of Redwine, Campbell, Wilson and Crossen steps up, Miami has to search out not less than one participant who can fill in if Holland, Jones or Rowe get harm.