The Miami Dolphins could lose starting safety Jevon Holland to free agency next March when the new league year begins in 2025. The Dolphins are not likely to match the price Holland will want on a new deal. Trading him before the deadline felt like a realistic possibility, but the Dolphins didn't make any moves.
Jordan Poyer is also set to be a free agent in the spring, placing safety near the top of Miami's offseason needs.
Bleacher Report has put together a new mock draft following the NFL trade deadline, which has the Dolphins doing something that should surprise no one by drafting Holland's replacement early in the first round of the draft. With all the needs the team will have after the season, drafting a safety seems right up Chris Grier's alley, but it also makes a lot of sense.
They have Miami taking Georgia's Malaki Starks.
Malaki Starks is a perfect mock draft fit for the Dolphins
Starks has the potential to be an elite safety at the next level. He is a hard-hitting football player with excellent ball instincts. By every account, a Day 1 starter, Starks would immediately make the secondary better from the start.
The downside is twofold. One, the Dolphins would need to pick in the top 10, which isn't likely to happen with the way they are playing with Tua Tagovailoa back in the lineup. There are also much bigger needs that have to be addressed. Miami can address some of its needs in free agency, including safety.
READ MORE: 3 QBs the Dolphins could sign to fill newly opened roster hole
If the Dolphins are picking in the top 10 come next April, Starks may be worth the selection, and as we said, this has Grier written all over it. He likes secondary players, and this would give Anthony Weaver another strong player who can move around.
There is a lot to like, and Starks seems to be the type of player who would thrive in a system similar to that of the Baltimore Ravens. He fits the profile for those types of play-making safeties.
Paired with Jalen Ramsey in the secondary, Miami's defense could be much better than it is currently with Holland and Poyer. Ramsey on the boundary and Starks deep could be exactly what Weaver needs.