A player intimately known by the Miami Dolphins is among emerging options in NFL Draft
Though the Dolphins are in decent shape at safety with Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain, Adrian Colbert and young prospects Steven Parker and Montre Hartage, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miami invest a second-day or early third-day pick on that position.
The reason is twofold: The Dolphins play six defensive backs more than any other team in the league — 29 percent of their defensive snaps last season. And Miami always has the option of moving McCain back to nickel corner (which remains a need) if a high-impact safety is discovered in the draft.
Exploring the Dolphins’ options at safety:
▪ Alabama’s Xavier McKinney:
ESPN’s Todd McShay has him going to Miami at 18, though some others project him as a second-rounder. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has McKinney as the first safety off the board, but not a first-rounder. He could be available with Miami’s picks at 39 or 56.
We’re told Miami planned to send several coaches and officials to meet with him before Alabama’s since-canceled Pro Day.
McKinney, a 6-0, 201-pound junior, was a third-team AP All-American last season, closing the season with 95 tackles (5.5 for loss), three sacks, three interceptions, one blocked kick and four forced fumbles.
Though not as highly regarded a prospect as Minkah Fitzpatrick, he offers Minkah-like versatility in that he split time last season between free safety, working in the box and slot corner.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein calls him “an ascending safety prospect offering a combination of plus athleticism, field awareness and versatility. His instincts, athleticism and quick-twitch burst are more cornerback than safety, which is why he’s likely to be a coveted toy for teams looking to upgrade and diversify their sub-packages. McKinney represents the new breed of versatile, matchup safeties with high upside as an early starter.”
The Dolphins covet those types of players, which is why McKinney to Miami is a possibility. Last season, he played 393 snaps at safety, 166 at cornerback, 120 at inside linebacker and 113 at outside linebacker. And we’re told that whereas Fitzpatrick was unhappy with being asked to play multiple positions, McKinney would embrace it.
▪ California’s Ashtyn Davis:
The 6-1, 200-pounder had seven interceptions in four seasons and also returns kicks (70 returns, 22.9 average, no touchdowns). Though his inconsistent tackling is a concern, he has a lot of the qualities Miami likes in a safety, including high-end athleticism and speed, and is a strong candidate at No. 39.
And this factor cannot be understated: Dolphins defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander coached Davis the past three years as the California Golden Bears’ defensive backs coach and from all indications, holds him in very high regard.
Alexander said this about Davis to The Athletic last August: “He has tremendous top-end speed. This kid is different than anybody I’ve ever been around. He has the size, speed and physicality, and his ceiling is so high because he has only been playing safety for a season and a half. He has shown the ability to tackle in space, he can cover and he makes plays with great range when the ball is in the air.”
And this from Alexander, from another piece: “Just to know that a guy walked onto this team and was able to persevere through all the things and all the challenges that go with that and to find himself in a role where he’s a starter… He’s one of the guys who’s looked to as a leader,” Alexander said in a 2018 dailycal.org story on Davis.
There are health issues, however. Davis was hampered last season by a groin injury. He had surgery to repair a torn abductor muscle on Dec. 18. He went to the Scouting Combine and received medical checkups but didn’t work out, hoping to instead do that at Cal’s since-canceled Pro Day.
Beyond health, there also must be a comfort level with his tackling, however, because Dolphins coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer place a premium on that.
▪ Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr.:
Flores mentioned last season that his favorite cornerback ever is Winfield’s father, the former Vikings standout.
And it wouldn’t be surprising if Flores also likes his son, who had 88 tackles last season and was named team MVP, capping a career in which he had nine interceptions and three touchdowns (one on a punt return, two on INTs).
Though many peg him as a second-round pick, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. surprisingly has him going 20th overall in his latest mock, citing his ability to play multiple positions at just 5-9.
“He has the versatility to play deep safety, nickel corner, strong safety and even some linebacker,” Kiper said. “At 5-foot-9, 203 pounds, he’s not the biggest guy, but you couldn’t tell from his tackling on tape — he’s not afraid to hit a ballcarrier.”
Winfield “isn’t as tall or as long as teams like and he’s an average athlete, but he’s an interchangeable safety who can flat-out play,” Zierlein said.
“Winfield is stout and strong with above average-body control and balance. He can bang on tight ends in coverage and support the run near the box. His angles to the ball are efficient against the run or pass. He’s very instinctive and sees plays unfold, but doesn’t have ball-hawking twitch to challenge a high number of throws. Winfield isn’t a star, but he’s a quality building block with the toughness and intelligence to help fortify the back end.”
I would be surprised if the Dolphins chose him over Davis or McKinney, but he could be an option at 39 or 56 or with Miami’s pick at 70, if those other two safeties are off the board.
▪ LSU’s Grant Delpit:
Once considered a top-10 pick, Delpit could slide dramatically. McShay now has him falling all the way to 41st. So if he’s there at 39, he figures to get consideration.
“Delpit slid a bit throughout the year, and though he misses his share of tackles, he is a rangy defender over the top with good instincts,” McShay said.
Last season, he had 65 tackles (4.5 for loss), two sacks, two interceptions and nine pass breakups. He won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back.
▪ Lenoir Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger:
He played only seven games due to injury last season but still won the Cliff Harris Award given to the nation’s top Defensive Player in Division II after producing two interceptions and two punt returns for touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 210-pounder has six career interceptions and seven career return touchdowns and looms as a third- or fourth- round option if Miami hasn’t addressed safety by that point.
“It’s rare to find a safety with elite size, speed, explosiveness and production at a Power 5 school and almost impossible to find one at a Division II school,” Zierlein said. “Dugger crammed the stat sheet full and used those elite traits to dominate the opposition. At times, he seems bored with his level of competition. A versatile, scheme-friendly safety who helps immediately on special teams and could develop into a talented NFL starter.”
▪ Texas’ Brandon Jones:
Another potential third- or fourth-round option, Jones (5-11, 210 pounds) had 86 tackles and two interceptions last season despite missing four games with injuries.
Zierlein noted that “while Jones played boundary, field, and nickel safety position at Texas, he’ll likely be pegged as a two-deep or single-high free safety due to man coverage limitations but above-average speed. He has third-safety potential and offers early help on special teams.”
▪ Ohio State’s Jordan Fuller:
A potential third- or fourth-rounder, Fuller (6-2, 203 pounds) improved in coverage last season after struggling in 2018. Zierlein said Fuller “could compete for a backup role as a split safety with the potential to match up with tight ends.”
Other potential mid-round safeties: Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn, Utah’s Julian Blackmon, Georgia’s J.R. Reed, Auburn’s Jeremiah Dinson, Maryland’s Antoine Brooks Jr., Clemson’s K’Von Wallace, Notre Dame’s Jalen Elliott and Michigan’s Josh Metellus.
Here’s a look at the Dolphins’ options at offensive tackle.
Here’s my Monday piece on some players who have interviews scheduled with the Dolphins.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 2:38 PM.
