The Miami Dolphins had Eric Rowe and Brandon Jones at strong safety in 2022. Last season, they brought in DeShon Elliott for the role on a one-year deal. Earlier this offseason, the Dolphins signed 33-year-old Jordan Poyer to a one-year deal.
While Miami has a rising star at free safety in Jevon Holland, the team hasn’t been able to find a consistent player to pair with him in the secondary.
Could sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris be that player?
Most likely, no. Hoping to find a starter in the sixth round is usually a fool’s errand. But McMorris, at the very least, offers depth that wasn’t there for the Dolphins.
Aside from Holland and Poyer, the only other safety on the roster was Elijah Campbell, a former waiver claim who was on the field for 141 defensive snaps last season.
McMorris is a physical safety with the requisite size (6’0, 207 pounds) and intelligence to play the position. While his propensity for missed tackles and his lack of burst and speed are concerning, McMorris is well-positioned to make the 53-man roster as the backup for Poyer.
His path to the roster will be awfully challenging if he doesn’t prove himself a capable special teams contributor, though.
