From the moment the Miami Dolphins traded Minkah Fitzpatrick, the safety position became yet another desperate need for a franchise with far too many holes. Aside from Fitzpatrick, the two safeties who received the second and third-most snaps in 2025 — Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu — saw their contracts expire and are still looking for jobs in free agency.
The Dolphins did opt to add veteran safety Lonnie Johnson Jr., as well as special teams ace Zayne Anderson (who is technically a safety), as free agents. It goes without saying that these additions hardly preclude the Dolphins from targeting a safety in the NFL Draft.
Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports reports that following the South Carolina Gamecocks Pro Day, intriguing safety prospect Jalon Kilgore met with team representatives, indicating some degree of interest from the new regime. While some fans may immediately have a flashback to the most recent SC defensive back the Dolphins drafted, Cam Smith, who wound up being a tremendous bust, Kilgore profiles much differently.
Jalon Kilgore has the makings of a cornerstone piece for Jeff Hafley's Miami Dolphins defense
Standing at 6'1" and weighing 210 pounds, Kilgore is a thumping specialist with excellent athleticism — a staple of players who intrigue Jon-Eric Sullivan. Boasting a 9.58 Relative Athletic Score, Kilgore's speed and explosiveness garnered elite composite grades. Make no mistake, though, as he is far more than just an athlete.
In three years with the Gamecocks, Kilgore has played all over the secondary, including filling in at cornerback. A proven, willing tackler with demonstrated ball-hawking ability, he has totaled 178 combined tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 21 passes defensed, and eight interceptions.
Still only 21 years old, Kilgore is likely only scratching the surface of what he will be capable of at the next level. Pro Football Focus ranks him No. 128 on their 2026 NFL Draft Big Board, with his 69.7 grade in 2025 ranking 384th out of 908 cornerbacks. The important caveat, though, is that Kilgore profiles as a safety at the next level and worked with the safeties at the NFL Combine, so this grade is somewhat misleading.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com sees a bright future for Kilgore, including a very translatable role at the NFL level:
"Kilgore is a big, long defensive back with nickelback or down safety value depending on scheme fit. He's played an overhang "Star" role, covering slot receivers and supporting the run, but he’ll be at his best in the pros covering tight ends and containing run games near the box. He could see split-field safety snaps if a staff trusts him on the back end, but he will be better off paired with a rangy single-high safety. Missed tackles need to be cleaned up but his wingspan, agility and play strength should keep his tackle totals high from year to year. 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."Lance Zierlein
Many Dolphins fans have seen the defense routinely victimized by tight ends in the seemingly always open middle of the field for more than a decade. If Kilgore can plug this defensive Achilles heel and give the Dolphins reliable tight end coverage, he very well may have a statue built in his image outside Hard Rock Stadium.