So with Jalen Ramsey the latest Dolphin to signal his desire to leave South Beach, Miami is staring at the prospect of having to replace four of the five starters from last year's secondary.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver returns for a second season and is reported to have more sway in some of the personnel decisions on that side of the ball, an important development considering the sheer number of needs at a position group with the most question marks on the roster.
Here's a look at the pre-draft roster landscape:
THE RETURNING STARTER:
Kader Kohou
Kohou has focused on the slot but may need to take on a boundary role. Perhaps the dominant UFA success story in recent franchise history, he has had uneven moments but is certainly a solid starter.
THE HOLDOVERS:
Ethan Bonner, Elijah Campbell, Storm Duck, Cam Smith
Bonner was undrafted out of Stanford, but has gotten some internal praise the past two seasons. At the end of the day, however, he has seven appearances, two tackles, and one pass breakup in his career.
Another undrafted player, Duck was forced into action a season ago and ended up recording 35 tackles and four pass breakups in three starts as a rookie.
Campbell is considered a core special-teams player entering his fifth season in Miami. He has started three games at safety and does not have an interception in his career.
Despite being a second-rounder, Smith has not started a game in his first two seasons. He has 18 tackles and no interceptions in 21 contests.
The Dolphins seem invested in this quartet to varying degrees, but I think -- even at his most optimistic -- Weaver (notwithstanding a difficult-to-imagine scenario that sees the light suddenly come on for Smith) would agree that things have gone horribly wrong if any of the four have to start consistently in 2025.
THE NEWCOMERS:
Artie Burns, Ashtyn Davis, Ifeatu Melifonwu
A local product, Burns had some good early moments with the Steelers, but his career has meandered of late and he started just one game over the past three season for the Seahawks. Burns, who hasn't had an interception since 2017, needs to be considered purely a depth piece at cornerback.
Davis has spent the past five seasons with the Jets, starting 22 games and grabbing eight picks in that time. I suspect Miami sees him as a rotational safety under the best circumstances.
The most highly regarded newcomer, Melifonwu has good size (6-3, 210 pounds), but had just 14 starts and two interceptions in his four years with the Lions. Based on sheer numbers, the 'Fins have to be projecting him into a starting safety role.
THE FRINGE GUYS:
Jordan Colbert, Ryan Cooper, Isaiah Johnson, Jason Maitre, Patrick McMorris
McMorris -- a sixth-rounder a season ago -- is perhaps the most intriguing of this group, but all five face uphill battles to make the squad in 2025.
THE DRAFT PLAN:
In the likely scenario that Ramsey is jettisoned for a Day 2 pick, Melifonwu is penciled in as one starter, and Kohou is consider another, the 'Fins face the unappealing prospect of entering the draft with three open starting positions in the secondary. Yes, there are street free agents poised to get snapped up following the draft, but that's also not an attractive approach.
That's the bad news. But -- believe it or not if you're a Dolphins fan -- there is good news.
Miami currently has 10 picks and is likely to pick up more when Ramsey and/or Tyreek Hill are traded. This draft is also widely considered to be an extremely strong one for safeties, so the 'Fins seem well positioned to grab a starting safety relatively early in the draft.
Cornerback is considered to be top heavy, which could lead Miami to prioritize the position with the No. 13 overall selection. The top two corners are widely considered to be Colorado's Travis Hunter (also a wideout) and Michigan's Will Johnson, both of whom are likely to be gone by the time the Dolphins are on the clock.
However, Jahdae Barron (Texas) may be in play at the spot, and Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), Trey Amos (Ole Miss), Azareye'h Thomas (Florida State), and Shavon Revel (EZU) could be trade-back options.
Or Miami could also go in the direction of South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, who many feel has strong coverage skills and is capable of playing in a hybrid role in Weaver's defensive backfield. Georgia's Malaki Starks is another safety who may have too high a grade for the 'Fins to pass on when it's time for them to pick.
THE PREDICTION:
The Dolphins get lucky by sitting tight and landing Johnson, who unexpectedly gets out of the top 10. Miami gets a fourth-rounder for Ramsey and a conditional third for Hill, then fortifies the secondary with a safety on Day 2 and multiple Day 3 corners.
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