Jun 10, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (26) catches the football during mandatory minicamp at Hard Rock Stadium. © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Dolphins welcomed reinforcements to their secondary on Sunday, but whether this chemistry experiment works remains to be seen

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kyle Crabbs | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 12:22 PM ET

The Miami Dolphins' secondary has been completely remodeled in just one offseason. It's a major chemistry experiment to see the Dolphins try to undertake — which could be easier said than done. The likes of Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer are all gone. In their place are names such as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Mike Hilton, Jack Jones, Storm Duck, and others. One of the newest faces in the Dolphins secondary made his training camp debut on Sunday, introducing a fresh name to the mix as Miami tries to gear up this new-look unit for the season.

Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was activated off of the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list this morning.

Ifeatu Melifonwu adds new competition to the safety room

Melifonwu signed with the Dolphins this spring with a chance to take what has been a promising but frustrating career and catapult it to new heights. Injuries have always been the biggest issue for Melifonwu, who has flashed on the field but can't seem to stay on it. Amid the other injuries in Miami's secondary, getting Melifonwu back for the third week of training camp is a welcomed sight — even if his own durability creates some leeriness about how reliable he can be to stay in the fray across 17 games.

Miami's seen veteran cornerbacks go down as well as safety Ashtyn Davis, who has an unestablished injury to a lower extremity that will keep him sidelined indefinitely. Head coach Mike McDaniel did acknowledge that Davis' injury is not expected to be season-ending, however.

Melifonwu's versatility as a coverage option could be an enticing pairing alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick in the secondary. Those two both have the ability to play in the slot or play in the box; it is a combination that gives the Dolphins a pretty robust menu for coverage disguises and shell rotation at the snap. But the potential of it can only fully be explored by keeping Melifonwu in the fray and on the practice field as the season approaches.

Today, in that sense, was a win for Miami. You take every one of them you can get against the injury bug this time of year, no matter what other questions linger on the horizon.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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