The Miami Dolphins expected to lose safety Jevon Holland in NFL free agency. That happened on March 11, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Holland agreed to a three-year deal worth $45 million with the New York Giants.
The contract will include $30.3 million guaranteed.
But it didn’t take long for the Dolphins to find a safety replacement. ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques reported early on March 11 that the Dolphins agreed to a one-year contract with safety Ifeatu Melifonwu.
The deal will be worth $4 million.
The Detroit Lions drafted Melifonwu in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He transitioned from cornerback in college to safety with the Lions.
Over four seasons, Lions head coach Dan Campbell often hyped Melifonwu as an exciting young player. He started 14 games in four years with Detroit.
In 37 games overall, Melifonwu posted 72 combined tackles, including six tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks. He also had 13 pass defenses, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
Dolphins Sign Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu
Because he only has 14 career starts in the NFL, Dolphins fans may argue Melifonwu isn’t really a replacement for Holland.
Holland has been one of Miami’s best defensive players over the past four years. In 2024, he registered 62 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss, four pass defenses and one sack.
According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, Holland experienced a down season in 2024. But he was one of the best rated safeties in 2023, as he fared very well in coverage, run defense and tackling.
Melifonwu also posted strong PFF player grades in 2023. During that season, he recorded an elite pass rush grade along with very good grades in coverage and run defense.
During 2023, Melifonwu played in all 17 games, starting a career-high six contests. He posted four tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.
The problem for Melifonwu is he hasn’t been available like he was in 2023 very often. He missed all but three games last season because of injuries.
Injuries sidelined him for 10 contests as a rookie in 2021 and seven games during 2022.
With only a one-year deal, there’s little risk with bringing in Melifonwu. But the question is whether he will be healthy to carve out a starting role in Miami this fall.
Dolphins Safety Depth Without Jevon Holland As NFL Free Agency Begins
In a perfect world, the Dolphins will not count on only Melifonwu to directly replace Holland this season. But, it’s a possibility given Miami’s safety depth.
On top of losing Holland, fellow Dolphins starting safety Jordan Poyer is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The 33-year-old is not expected to return to Miami.
According to Spotrac, the Dolphins opened the league’s legal tampering period on March 10 with only two safeties signed. Those were Patrick McMorris and Jordan Colbert.
McMorris played eight defensive snaps for the Dolphins in 2024. Miami only just added Colbert, who has never appeared in an NFL regular season game, on a futures contract in January.
The Dolphins will certainly need to add more safety depth this offseason. But there’s no guarantee that depth will be a superior starting option over Melifonwu.
Miami doesn’t have a lot of cap space this offseason either. But the Dolphins drafting a safety early in the 2025 NFL Draft is a strong possibility.
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