Safety Position Should be Fixed Long-Term through the Draft

Safety Position Should be Fixed Long-Term through the Draft

Heading into 2026, the Dolphins’ safety room is in transition.

Dante Trader Jr. looks like a player who could fill a role for the foreseeable future, but with NFL defenses needing to have at least two other rotational players, Miami needs to add two other long-term players at the position.

Yes, Lonnie Johnson should be able to play quality snaps this season and Zayne Anderson should help on special teams, the pair are not expected to be with the team long-term.

Thankfully for Jeff Hafley and company, there are plenty of options in this month’s draft who should be able to help as a free or strong safety or even fit as a big nickel.

To start, there is Caleb Downs, Dillon Thieneman, or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who will all be available and should be seen as options at either pick 11 or pick 30.

Downs is seen as an All-Pro Player who is worthy of a top-10 pick, while Thieneman can be had in a trade down in the teens.

McNeil-Warren is worthy of a late 1st or early 2nd round pick, while other players such as A.J Haulcy could play more in the box and be an immediate starter for the team as a second-round selection.

If Miami chooses to wait until round 3 or round 4 to select one or two safeties, it will have plenty of options there as well.

Between Kamari Ramsey, V.J. Payne, Jalon Kilgore, Kyle Louis, and Treydan Stukes, the Dolphins should be able to find some safety help to pair with Dante Trader Jr.

They could take Downs at pick 11 and then double down with Kyle Louis later on day 2 to fill multiple roles as they could put Louis as a big nickel to match up with tight ends and bigger receivers out of the slot.

Jeff Hafley’s defense relies on strong safety play.

If he wants to build “Packers South” with the Dolphins, he needs to take a safety or two in the draft to build the backend of his defense for the future.

Luckily for him, this is a great year for safeties in the draft.