3,401. That's how many snaps are being turned over to new players in the Miami Dolphins starting defensive backfield in 2025. Four starters — Jalen Ramsey, Jordan Poyer, Jevon Holland, and Kendall Fuller — are not with the Dolphins to start this year's training camp.
Three of those players each played over 80 percent of the team's defensive snaps last season, and all three are being replaced by players who were brought in from outside the organization.
Two of those players were potentially just added to the team on Saturday. Free agent cornerbacks Jack Jones and Mike Hilton are joining the Dolphins shortly after training camp kicked off last week. And both will be competing for starting spots in 2025.
Dolphins outside corner depth chart
Jones will be looking to secure one of Miami's outside corner spots. Jones has played well in his career despite giving up a league-most eight touchdowns last season. But on just 571 yards allowed (sixth best among corners who saw 80 or more targets) there's reason to believe the amount of touchdowns was an outlier.
Jones will be competing with Storm Duck, Cam Smith, and Jason Marshall Jr. for a spot. Duck has an inside track to at least one cornerback spot as last year's fill-in for Fuller when the veteran was out injured. He played over 300 snaps on the outside last year.
Smith has seen just 153 defensive snaps in two seasons in Miami despite being a second-round pick in 2023. Marshall Jr. was the team's fifth-round pick this past April out of Florida.
Projected Starters: Jack Jones, Storm Duck
Dolphins slot corner depth chart
Hilton will be competing for the starting nickel corner position in 2025. Hilton has been one of the best "tough guys" at that position in the last decade. In his early years from 2017-2020, he was tied for the third-most sacks by a defensive back (9.5), and in the last two years, he led the position in tackles for loss (24).
But Hilton is getting older. At 31 years old as an undersized corner, the projection ahead isn't too promising. Especially because he will be competing with Kader Kohou for the starting spot.
Kohou has been the team's starting slot going back to 2022 and logged 1,634 snaps at the position in that time. Reducing Hilton's role to depth for the time being.
Hilton's best chance is if one of the outside corners doesn't step up, and Miami decides Kohou is their best option in that role. He's not unfamiliar with it - he's played 743 snaps on the outside as well - so it is possible. For now, however, Hilton could see some work playing in the box as a safety, or a sixth defensive back in dime packages, or playing the slot ahead of Kohou in certain situations.
Projected Starter: Kader Kohou
Dolphins safety depth chart
Headlining the safeties and defensive backs all together is former Dolphins first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick. Miami traded Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith for Fitzpatrick in June, after trading him to the Steelers back in 2019. Since then, Fitzpatrick has become one of the best safeties in the league. The three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler led the league in interceptions in 2022.
Up for the other safety spot are a couple of former third-round picks. Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu signed with Miami this offseason. Melifonwu, however, is currently on the "Non-Football Injury" list, and not practicing at this point in camp.
Melifonwu is a versatile player coming over from Detroit. As a rookie in 2021, he played 195 of his 242 defensive snaps as an outside corner. In 2023, he played a career-high 535 defensive snaps. 233 at free safety. 168 in the box (strong safety/near line of scrimmage). 113 in the slot as a corner. In that year, he was one of just three players to have three sacks, two interceptions, and eight passes defended.
Davis is coming over from New York where he spent five seasons. In his first two years with the team he played over 1,000 defensive snaps, primarily as a free safety. But when Jordan Whitehead joined the team in 2022, he became mostly a special teamer and played less than 500 defensive snaps over the next three seasons. But to his credit, he was moved around the field more as a backup in those years.
Melifonwu is nearly three years younger with one fewer season in the NFL. It feels like there's more untapped potential there. If Melifonwu is healthy, he should be the better bet to start next to Fitzpatrick, with Davis being a versatile, veteran backup. But watch out for Mike Hilton to maybe get some work as a safety as he gets a little older. His physicality and two years of playing experience with Fitzpatrick in Pittsburgh could make for a good environment for a position change as he ages.
Projected Starter: Ifeatu Melifonwu