Dolphins badly need safeties. Examining draft options, with third round in play
The Dolphins emerged from the first week of free agency with at least two functional, experienced starters at every position except two: safety and cornerback.
The situation at safety is particularly dire. The room currently includes only a journeyman on his seventh team in five years (Lonnie Johnson), a special teams core player with two career starts (Zayne Anderson), a 2025 fifth-rounder with much to prove (Dante Trader Jr.) and developmental player Omar Brown.
Miami will need to find at least one, and probably two, starters in the coming months; Trader Jr. hasn’t yet shown enough to be penciled in as a starter, though he figures to get every opportunity in the early stages of this rebuild. Johnson is a stopgap, but the Dolphins guaranteed only a small portion of his veteran’s minimum salary.
The need could be filled, conceivably, with Ohio State’s Caleb Downs. But after being mocked to Miami at No. 11 in NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s first mock draft, Downs is now widely projected to go a bit before the Dolphins’ pick. SI.com’s Albert Breer calls him the most talented player in the draft.
Let’s discuss Downs for a bit, in the unlikely event he falls to 11:
Jeremiah said Downs’ “football intelligence and leadership are off the charts” and ranks him the ninth-best player in the draft:
“Downs is a versatile safety prospect with outstanding instincts and intangibles. He moved around in Ohio State’s scheme but primarily lined up underneath as a nickel, strong safety or nickel ‘backer. In the passing game, he is a smooth mover and utilizes his eyes/instincts to close and limit windows. He’s physical and has enough speed to mirror tight ends in man coverage.
“He didn’t get challenged much at the college level, which limited his ball production, though he did snag a pair of interceptions in each of his three seasons. He is an outstanding blitzer, showing timing and feel. He excels against the run. He handled most of the communication for the defense and the staff raves about his intelligence and leadership. Overall, Downs lacks “wow” traits, but he’s a plug-and-play starter who makes others better around him.”
There are a couple of safeties projected for the back half of the first round: Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Jeremiah mocks him 18th) and Oregon’s Dillion Thieneman (Jeremiah mocks him 25th). It’s possible one could be available to Miami at pick 30, which the Dolphins acquired from Denver in the Jaylen Waddle. But most draft projections have them off the board by 30.
McNeil-Warren took a 30 visit with the Dolphins and Jeremiah said he has Pro Bowl potential: “I’m higher on McNeil-Warren than some other people around the league, but I love his combination of size and explosive playmaking ability. He’s a tall, long safety prospect with fantastic production. Every game I examined was littered with big hits, plays on the ball and high energy.”
As for Thieneman, Jeremiah ranks him 23rd among all prospects, noting he “can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed. Thieneman was a versatile chess piece in Oregon’s defense. He lined up in the box, in the deep half and over the slot. Against the run, he trusts his eyes and explodes into the alley. Overall, Thieneman does a lot of different tasks at a very high level. His skill set is highly coveted around the NFL.”
Those are the only three safeties who Jeremiah lists among his top 50 prospects.
Though pick 43 might be too high, one name to keep in mind in round two is LSU’s A.J. Haulcy. The Dolphins like him; he visited team headquarters last week. He had five interceptions for Houston in 2024 and three for LSU (with 96 tackles) in 2025.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein calls him “a throwback safety with a compact, densely muscled frame and a pro feel for reading the field. He’s a rare blend of ballhawk and enforcer who can scurry into passing lanes for takeaways or run through a receiver to break up a pass. He projects as a good NFL starter in a zone-heavy scheme.”
Among safeties who could be in play with Miami’s four third-round picks (75, 87, 90, 94) or its one pick in the fourth round (130):
▪ Pittsburgh’s Kyle Louis: He had six interceptions during the past two seasons with the Panthers. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the No. 3 safety, behind Downs and McNeil-Warren.
Zierlein compares him to former Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker, noting he’s an “undersized linebacker/box safety who had more production and made fewer mental mistakes in 2024. Louis has the speed, athleticism and recognition to quickly find the football. He’s very decisive in coverage and has the ball skills to flip the field. He struggles to take on blocks and leverage his gap in the run game. Teams need to have a plan for how to use him, but versatile sub-package defenders with speed and cover talent are valuable in the league.”
▪ TCU’s Bud Clark: He had 15 interceptions in six seasons at TCU, including four last season.
“Clark’s traits won’t pop but his tape most certainly will,” Zierlein said, adding he’s “a coverage-versatile safety in a cornerback’s body with the talent to range over the top or man up on the slot.”
▪ USC’s Kamari Ramsey: He had two picks and 11 passes defensed in four years — two seasons at UCLA, two at USC.
Zierlien notes he “saw a heavier workload at nickelback in 2025 after splitting time at all three safety spots in 2024. He was adequate covering the slot in college... With multiple games missed in consecutive seasons, Ramsey’s draft stock could take a hit due to durability concerns.”
▪ Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley: He had 96 tackles and three interceptions in 2024, 74 and one pick last season.
Zierlein said Wheatley is “a long, athletic safety whose career arc shows steady development....Wheatley is still improving and should check in as a Day 2 pick with the potential to develop into a solid starter.”
▪ South Carolina’s Jalon Kilgore: He had eight interceptions in three college seasons, including an SEC-leading five in 2024.
Zierlein said he’s “a big, long defensive back with nickelback or down safety value depending on scheme fit. Kilgore has the traits, ball production and versatility to counter the burgeoning tight end craze, making him a likely Day 2 pick with early starting potential.”
▪ Arizona’s Genesis Smith: Had five interceptions in three years with the Wildcats.
▪ Kansas State’s VJ Payne: Had four interceptions and 207 tackles in four seasons and 42 starts. Zierlein said he “can play inside the box, over the slot and as a split safety. Payne held his own against three of the Big 12’s best receiving tight ends in 2025.”
▪ UM’s Jakobe Thomas: Like cornerback Keionte Scott, he improved enormously in his one season as a Cane, intercepting five passes and recording 3.5 sacks. (He had four interceptions in 2022 at Middle Tennessee State and no interceptions in three other college seasons.)
“He has good ball production but is fairly average in coverage,” Zierlein said, noting he “has the potential to develop into a starter as a likely middle-round pick.”
▪ Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton: He had two interceptions and 70 tackles as a senior last season. Zierlein says he’s a “big, long safety. Special-teams value could be the key to him making a roster as a fourth safety.”
▪ Texas’ Michael Taaffe: He had three, two and two interceptions the past three seasons with the Longhorns, for whom he started 36 games. “Taaffe’s football IQ and special-teams value might need to do the heavy lifting to overcome average traits and athleticism,” Zierlein said.
Here’s my look at edge players in the draft.
Here’s my look at cornerback in the draft.
Here’s my look at offensive line options in the draft.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 9:49 AM.
