Dolphins Camp Preview: Safeties
The Miami Dolphins made a lot of changes this offseason hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and win a playoff game for the first time since 2000.
The team hired former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its head coach, acquired highly touted offensive players like offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill, and kept their entire 2021 starting defense together.
In order to prepare fans for a pivotal season, we’ve decided to break down each positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for each player, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.
We wrap up our series with the safeties.
DOLPHINS SAFETY OUTLOOKS
Jevon Holland
2021 Stats: 69 total tackles, 2 INTs, 10 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, 2.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss
2022 Outlook: Miami selected Holland in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Oregon, and he quickly became the team’s starting free safety. Holland’s role this season should remain unchanged.
His primary job will be to patrol deep zones and support Miami’s cornerbacks in man coverage. He’s versatile enough to see reps in man coverage, and he’s a good enough run defender to play near the line of scrimmage.
Holland is a chess piece who can move around while also filling one of the most vital roles (free safety) in Miami’s heavy cover-one defense.
Brandon Jones
2021 Stats: 79 total tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 5 sacks, 6 tackles for loss
2022 Outlook: Jones became an important piece of Miami’s blitz packages last season as he led all NFL safeties in sacks.
Jones’ role in 2022 will be centered around his ability to play in the box, defend the run, and attack downhill as an extra pass rusher. If Jones wants to become a more complete strong safety, he’ll have to improve his man coverage skills.
Eric Rowe
2021 Stats: 71 total tackles, 4 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles
2022 Outlook: Rowe saw his starts drop from 14 in 2020 to four in 2021 thanks to Jones’ improvement in his second season.
However, Rowe is still Miami’s best option at strong safety when it comes to covering tight ends. In today’s NFL, that is an important trait to have, and it is what Rowe will be tasked with doing again in 2022.
Rowe is in the final year of his contract, so he might not remain with the team long term, especially if Jones takes another considerable jump in play this season.
Sheldrick Redwine
2021 Stats (New York Jets/Dolphins): 6 games played, 8 total tackles
2022 Outlook: Redwine joined the Dolphins in October of last season after playing two games with the Jets.
Redwine, who attended the University of Miami, will have an opportunity to compete for a backup safety spot during training camp and will have to play on special teams.
Clayton Fejedelem
2021 Stats: 17 games played, 7 total tackles
2022 Outlook: Fejedelem is one of Miami’s better special teams players and was a team captain last season.
There is nothing to suggest his role as a special teams ace and locker room leader will change in 2022.
Verone McKinley III
2021 College Stats (Oregon): 77 total tackles, 6 INTs, 6 passes defended, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery
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 several national draft analysts.
McKinley has an opportunity to compete for Miami’s primary backup free safety position and also make the roster as a special teams contributor.
Elijah Campbell
2021 Stats: 7 games played and 2 total tackles
2022 Outlook: Miami claimed Campbell off waivers from the New York Jets in September 2021. Campbell missed a good chunk of last season after being placed on injured reserve on Nov. 27.
This season, he’ll provide Miami with another contributor on special teams while getting a chance to compete for a depth safety spot during training camp once he comes off the non-football injury list.
DOLPHINS SAFETY SUPERLATIVES
Best Man Coverage: Jevon Holland
Best Zone Coverage: Jevon Holland
Best Ball Skills: Jevon Holland
Best Pass Rusher: Brandon Jones
Most Versatile: Jevon Holland
Most Underrated: Eric Rowe
KEY DOLPHINS QUESTIONS AT SAFETY?
Will Brandon Jones take the next step in his development?
Jones burst onto the scene last season as one of Miami’s best blitzers, as his five sacks led all NFL safeties. His athletic ability and downhill explosiveness allow him to line up anywhere on the defense and get into the backfield quickly.
That makes him a quintessential fit for Miami’s hyper-aggressive defense. With that said, Jones is still a safety, which means he needs to be a strong coverage player capable of handling different assignments seamlessly.
If Jones is going to become a complete safety, he’ll have to improve his coverage ability. Last season, he was targeted 25 times and gave up 22 receptions for an 88 percent allowed completion percentage.
That number led all NFL safeties who took at least 300 coverage reps last season. Jones also allowed 13.9 yards per reception, which ranked 17th among safeties.
Jones’ skills complement Holland’s well as they can mask each other's weak points, but Jones becoming better in coverage can open up so many possibilities for Miami’s defense.
He and Holland would be more interchangeable, meaning the defense would tip its hand less pre-snap. Right now, if Jones is hovering around the line of scrimmage, offenses can assume he’s blitzing. If he doesn’t, they can just pick on him in coverage.
Who will be Miami’s fourth safety?
Miami’s first three safeties are more than likely set in stone. Holland is the free safety, Jones is the strong safety who plays in the box, and Rowe is responsible for covering tight ends.
However, the depth chart behind each of those players is less certain. There’s not much experience in the group vying for backup duties at safety. Fejedelem is the most experienced of the bunch, but he’s primarily a special teams player.
That leaves Redwine, Campbell, McKinley, and some of the players listed at “DB” on Miami’s roster like Keion Crossen and Quincy Wilson.
Crossen and Wilson have played mostly cornerback in their career, so their safety experience is limited at best. Redwine and Campbell have combined for 16 career games with a good chunk of Campbell’s reps coming on special teams.
That leaves McKinley, who might be positioned to make the 53-man roster as a UDFA. McKinley isn’t the fastest player (4.65 40-yard dash) or the biggest player (5-10 and 192 pounds), but his college film shows an NFL-caliber player.
He’s rarely out of place in coverage, has good ball skills (had 6 INTs in 2021), and is a tough run defender despite his physical limitations.
Whether McKinley has an impressive camp or one of Redwine, Campbell, Wilson and Crossen steps up, Miami has to find at least one player who can fill in if Holland, Jones or Rowe get hurt.
