The Miami Dolphins finished their 2023 campaign with an 11-6 record and made the postseason for the second time in as many years under head coach Mike McDaniel. Unfortunately, it came to an end with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round.
While other teams are in the midst of their playoff run, it’s time to do some reflecting on the team in South Florida.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be reviewing and evaluating different positions for the Dolphins in 2023. Today, we’ll look at the safeties.
Jevon Holland: A-
Holland shined again in 2023, as he truly seems to be turning into a star in front of our eyes.
The 23-year-old captain finished the season with 74 tackles (three for a loss), four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one incredible interception that was returned for a touchdown against the New York Jets on Black Friday.
Holland continues to be just a pleasure to watch, as he makes impactful plays all over the field, but injuries kept him off the field and definitely hurt Miami down the stretch.
DeShon Elliott: B
Elliott signed with the Dolphins this past offseason on a one-year, $1.77 million contract after spending time with the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.
He joined Holland as a starter at the position and looked solid overall. His performance wasn’t spectacular, but he was far from a liability on the field.
In 15 games, Elliott recorded 82 tackles (one for a loss), seven passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one interception.
Depending on what he’s asking for this offseason, Miami should strongly consider bringing him back for another year.
Brandon Jones: C
Coming off of a torn ACL midway through 2022, it was impressive that Jones was back for the season opener, even it was in a lesser role.
With Elliott thrust into the starting spot, Jones took on the third safety spot, which still resulted in him playing 44% of the snaps with injuries to Elliott and Holland.
Jones finished the season with 36 total tackles (two for a loss), four passes defensed, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble.
His play didn’t jump off the page in 2023, especially considering he had been used as an expert blitzer in prior seasons. That’s still in him, but he might not be able to display that ability in Miami as he enters free agency in March.
Elijah Campbell: D+
Campbell, who has been mainly a special teamer in his career, played a career-high 122 defensive snaps in 2023. He didn’t contribute much, as he recorded just 15 total tackles and one pass defensed. He also recovered the fumble on the muffed punt against the Tennessee Titans which should’ve helped Miami earn that win if it weren’t for the blown lead.
