Defensive backs are a Miami Dolphins draft need, especially at Safety
By Sean Moon
Defensive backs are a Miami Dolphins draft need, especially at the safety position, so let’s take a look at a few of them.
Now that the 2020 season has ended, the Miami Dolphins are gearing up to get their draft board in order. I think it is safe to say that this franchise will be evaluating almost the entire draft class due to the huge amount of needs in almost every position.
Of course, we have and continue to hear about the QB position, but unfortunately, there are a lot of other positions they need to address in this year’s draft.
The first position that comes to mind is at the DB positions, particularly at safety. With long-time safety Rashad Jones not likely in the long-term plans of the team, mostly in part because of age and money, coupled with a string of injuries that have kept him off the field in recent seasons, the Miami Dolphins will most likely look to the large pool of safeties in this year’s draft class.
The Miami Dolphins can take advantage of some of their mid-round selections to find some quality picks at the safety positions. There is a lot of solid mid rounders that could bring some talent and much-needed stability at this position for this Dolphins team.
I don’t expect Grant Delpit of LSU or Xavier McKinney of Alabama to last long in this year’s draft, as surely some teams will pick these two up in late 1st to early 2nd round. So what does this position look like for the Dolphins?
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Let’s look at Antoine Winfield Jr., safety from Minnesota and son of former Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield Sr. This is a slightly undersized safety at 5-10″ and weighing in the neighborhood of 205lbs.
Winfield Jr. had a great year this season and established himself as a bit of a ballhawk for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Antoine Winfield Jr. tallied 7 interceptions, 85 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 pass deflection which led to him earning the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year.
Some seem to think he may fall in the 3rd to 5th rounds of the draft and if he is sitting there the Dolphins should look to add Antoine Winfield Jr. to a talent deprived backfield. It is worth noting that head coach Brian Flores has been quoted as saying Antoine Winfield Sr is was his favorite cornerback ever.
Another safety I liked was Ashtyn Davis, a 6-1, 200# safety from Cal. Davis was a walk-on talent and a four-year hurdler for the California Golden Bears. Davis had a solid senior season with 2 INT’s, 55 Tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. Davis is expected to be there for the taking in the 2-4 round range and might be an option for the Dolphins.
Ashtyn Davis was a recipient of Cal’s J. Scott Duncan Award as its Most Valuable Player on special teams in 2016 and 2017. The Miami Dolphins could really use some added talent on their special team’s squad and Davis would be able to contribute on multiple positions for this team.
Davis is another player with a side note, new defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander was hired away from Cal, who held the same title with the California team. Alexander was instrumental in developing and turning Cal’s secondary into one of the nations best, so that seems like a good match for the Miami Dolphins.
Julian Blackmon a cornerback most of his college career except for this last season when he was converted into a Safety. Blackmon had some great plays throughout the year but did show some struggles, particularly against USC.
Blackmon is a 6-1, 204# converted Safety that lacks lights out speed but seems to just need a little coaching on the position and then could turn into solid Safety. Blackmon produced 4 INT’s, 60 Tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 4 pass deflections in his senior year at Utah.
With a later round expectation, somewhere in the 4-6 range, Dolphins could look to add him and continue to develop at the Safety spot. Julian Blackmon does possess great tackling skills, which is always a trait you need at the safety position, and with great hustle and a physical demeanor, this is the type of player Flores could mold into a solid defender.
Last but not least K’Von Wallace, a 5-11, 200# Safety from the Clemson Tigers. Clemson did a great job utilizing this prospect all over the back-end of their defense. This is a classic version of a Brian Flores player. Smart, strong and physical with great football I.Q.
Wallace does have some limitations, especially height restrictions against taller receivers and sometimes is a bit hesitant in run support, not that he cannot lay the wood, it’s just sometimes he waits too long to attack. Wallace was a player and a captain on a college championship-caliber team that could show up when needed.
This quote says a lot about Wallace and how he deems life and sports,
"“Graduating is the biggest accomplishment of my entire life. It was 10 times bigger than winning the national championship,” Wallace said. “That meant more to my family than anything on this earth. It wasn’t just for me, it was to better my life and impact generations behind me.”"
K’Von Wallace in his senior year produced 2 INT’s, 81 Tackles, 2 sacks, and10 pass deflections. Wallace should be available in the mid-rounds somewhere and is a natural leader. This is definitely in the Flores mold and would make a great addition to the Miami Dolphins.
So there you have it, one or more of these guys could easily fit right in with the Miami Dolphins new vision and produce early and often for the team. With as much capital as this team has, I would not be shocked to hear one of these names and I would welcome any of them to this Miami Dolphins team.