Five Safety Prospects for the Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have several big needs heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, and perhaps none are bigger than safety. Miami’s roster currently has one safety under contract for next season: 2024 sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris.

Last season’s top snap takers, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer, are slated to hit free agency, and they didn’t perform overly well last season anyway. Even if one returns, the Dolphins will need another impact player at this position.

The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is next week, which will give the Dolphins an opportunity to see the best 2025 NFL draft prospects compete up close and personal.

With that in mind, we’ve constructed a list of five safety prospects who would be a fit for the Dolphins. All five will also be at the combine next week.

Top Safety Prospects for Dolphins

Malaki Starks, Georgia

2024-25 Stats: 999 snaps, 2 PBUs, 1 INT, 64 solo tackles

Malaki Starks was the consensus top safety prospect for most of the college football season but has fallen slightly out of favor recently. Starks’ 2024 campaign was slightly underwhelming, but that has more to do with how high he set the bar in previous seasons.

A three-year starter at Georgia, Starks projects as one of the most well-rounded, impactful safeties in this class. Starks will make his money in deep zone coverage, making him an ideal replacement for Holland.

The Georgia product recorded six interceptions and 14 pass breakups across three seasons, showcasing excellent ball skills, coverage instincts, and overall athleticism. What makes Starks particularly appealing is his versatility.

The NFL’s best safeties can affect the game from multiple spots, whether downfield, in the box, or in the slot. This past season, Starks played 400 snaps at free safety, 215 in the box, and 271 in the slot, according to PFF.

When talking about draft prospects, versatility is usually projection. Many prospects have the skills to line up in different spots, but few of them actually did it to the extent Starks did at Georiga.

Versatility at the safety spot is valuable because it allows defensive coordinators to disguise coverages better pre-snap. Starks’ man coverage ability and run defense is good enough that he can line up just about anywhere.

Current Round Projection: Mid to Late 1st

Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

2024-25 Stats: 874 snaps, 6 INTs, 3 PBUs, 62 solo tackles

Watts was a player the Dolphins were slated to see compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl last month, but he opted out due to Notre Dame’s long season. However, he should be a player the Dolphins observe closely at the combine next week.

Like Starks, Watts projects best as a deep-field safety who is capable of making impact plays on the ball. Watts has been one of college football’s best ball hawks for the past two seasons, intercepting 13 passes in that span, the most in the country.

He’s a former wide receiver, and it shows in how well he attacks the ball at the catch point and reads the quarterback’s eyes. Although he’s primarily used in deeper zones, Watts is a useful shallow zone player. He has the playmaking mentality to operate as a single-high, two-high, and low-hole defender if needed.

Although Watts has a lot of coverage versatility, he’s less alignment versatile than someone like Starks. Watts played 306 snaps in the box at Notre Dame last season, but his lackluster size (6 feet, 203 pounds) doesn’t project well to the NFL level.

He plays bigger than his size suggests, so he’s not a total non-factor near the line of scrimmage and against the run; it’s just not somewhere he should be counted on consistently.

Current Projected Round Range: 2nd

Andrew Mukuba, Texas

2024-25 Stats: 749 snaps, 6 PBUs, 5 INTs, 57 solo tackles

Mukuba rounds out the players who likely would replace Holland’s safety spot. Like Watts, Mukuba opted out of the Senior Bowl after Texas’ long 2024-25 season.

He shows above-average zone instincts and solid man-coverage ability. His best work comes in deep halves and when robbing the middle of the field, but he can operate any coverage role at a baseline level.

Mukuba’s football IQ and effort really stand out on tape. He made wildly impressive plays on the ball that blended natural athletic ability with a clear understanding of route concepts and opponent’s tendencies.

However, there are a few pitfalls in Mukuba’s evaluation, For starters, he’s incredibly thin, being listed at 190 pounds, which is good for the fourth percentile among all safety prospects measured at the combine since 1999.

This makes him a tough sell playing near the line of scrimmage. Mukuba deserves credit for playing physically at his stature, but he has clear limitations against the run and when dealing with bigger receivers in the slot.

That parlays into his other major weakness — versatility. Mukuba is athletic enough to play anywhere, but he’s best suited to remain in deep zones and away from the line of scrimmage. This could make him a coverage tell for opposing quarterbacks, or, if he is asked to play in the box too much, he could be an easy target for offensive coordinators to call running plays at.

Current Round Projection: Late 2nd-Early 3rd

Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

2024-25 Stats: 742 snaps, 3 PBUs, 4 INTs, 74 solo tackles

Nick Emmanwori is one of the class’ most interesting safety prospects. The South Carolina product is listed at 6 -3, 227 pounds, which is 97th percentile among safeties measured at the combine since 1999.

Calling Emmanwori “big” doesn’t do him justice — he’s massive. Emmanwori is a prospect worth considering for the Dolphins because of how well he moves at his massive size.

Emmanwori is at his best when dropping into robber roles or playing in underneath zones. There, he can maximize his downhill explosiveness and make the lives of QBs trying to fit zone windows quite difficult with his overwhelming length.

He’s a good run defender who will help any team looking to up its speed and physicality on the second level. He’s got enough size to play as a linebacker in certain defensive packages, which might be his long-term role.

One of the reasons Poyer had such a poor 2024 season is because of his tackling. Emmanwori would be a huge upgrade in that regard, as his missed tackle rate of 7.2 percent is well above average for the position.

It’s important to note that Emmanwori’s size also comes with a downside. He’s not a player who should be tasked with playing in deep zones because he lacks the transitional quickness to close down those throwing windows.

This also limited what types of receivers he could cover in the slot. Tight ends are in his wheelhouse, but smaller, speedier slot receivers will likely give him trouble.

Emmanwori is essentially the opposite of Mukuba in every way. Whatever team drafts him will need a unique plan to make sure he’s put in the best possible position to succeed. Although that sounds obvious, NFL teams draft outlier body types without a good plan every year.

Current Round Projection: Late 1st-Early 2nd

Jonas Sanker, Virginia

2024-25 Stats: 958 snaps, 4 PBUs, 1 INT, 76 solo tackles

Thus far, all of the prospects on this list will be near the top of most analyst safety rankings. However, that’s likely to change with Jonas Sanker from Virginia.

Sanker, a three-year starter at Virginia, is flying a bit under the radar right now. He played all over the defense, collecting experience in several alignments, coverages, and responsibilities. He lined up in the box for 358 snaps, in deep zones for 282, and in the slot for 183.

Although not a flashy player, Sanker projects as a functional third safety or starting strong safety because of his run defense prowess.

He runs the alley and will come down with good hit power to bring down ball carriers near the line of scrimmage. He can be a tad over-aggressive when tackling, but he made plenty of impressive open-field tackles — something Miami was sorely missing last season.

Sanker is also a good shallow coverage player. He understands how route concepts develop and has enough acceleration to close down smaller throwing windows. His ball skills are only modest, and he shouldn’t be put in deeper zones too often.

If the Dolphins can pair Sanker with a safety with more range on the backend, whether by bringing Holland back or signing a different free safety, Sanker should fit nicely into several roles near the line of scrimmage.

Additionally, the Dolphins likely wouldn’t need a premium pick to select Sanker since he’s got a lot less buzz than the class’ top prospects.

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Current Round Projection: 3rd-4th