Dolphins Lose Versatile Rookie Kyle Louis to Knee Injury

Miami Dolphins rookie safety Kyle Louis will be out for an undisclosed amount of time.

Coach Jeff Hafley told reporters that Louis will at least miss the Week 2 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers because of a knee injury.

“He’ll be out this week for sure,” Hafley said. “Might be a few weeks, don’t know how long just yet. But just being honest with you, he will be out for the week.”

Louis could be a chess piece for Dolphins

Hafley did not provide details on the severity of Louis’ knee injury. The injury reportedly occurred during the second half of Sunday’s 27-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

In recent weeks, Louis moved from linebacker, where the Dolphins drafted him in April, to safety. Miami selected him in the fourth round out of Pittsburgh. During his final two seasons at Pitt, Louis recorded six interceptions and forced two fumbles.

At 6-foot, 220 pounds, Louis was small for an NFL linebacker. But he is a natural fit at safety because of his versatility to play near the line of scrimmage and his overall coverage skills. Louis played safety in high school at East Orange Campus in New Jersey.

Miami could have used Louis as a versatile defensive player. He has the skills and speed to cover faster tight ends while also serving as a run stuffer near the line of scrimmage.

Once he is healthy and able to contribute, Miami could deploy Louis in some big nickel packages, which replace the traditional slot cornerback with a bigger defender, such as a safety or linebacker.

Against the Raiders, Louis played just three defensive snaps before suffering his injury. He was expected to be a major contributor on special teams. Louis registered 14 special teams snaps against the Raiders and served as a gunner on punt coverage.

Now, the Dolphins will be a bit shorthanded heading into a matchup against a 49ers team that defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Australia in Week 1.