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Dolphins Draft Jevon Holland in Round 2: Instant Analysis

The Miami Dolphins selected Oregon safety Jevon Holland with their first of two second-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft

Alain Poupart

The Miami Dolphins went back to defense with their first of two second-round picks in the 2021 NFL draft, and they pulled somewhat of a surprise with the selection of Oregon safety Jevon Holland.

Just like 18th overall selection Jaelan Phillips was the first defensive end taken, Holland was the first safety taken in this draft. But it was TCU's Trevon Moehrig who was widely considered the top safety prospect in this draft.

What we can say about Holland is he's good in coverage and has a knack for the ball, coming up with nine interceptions in his two seasons at Oregon before he opted out of the 2020 seasons.

And then there was this note from the CFB Film Room Twitter account:

The biggest significance of Holland's addition in the second round might be what this means for the team's two starting safeties from a year ago, Eric Rowe and Bobby McCain. Both of them were considered potential cap casualties this offseason, and this selection certainly won't change that, particularly when coupled with the Dolphins selecting Brandon Jones in the third round just last year.

At the very least, based on his college resume, Holland should challenge for the slot cornerback job, which saw some increased competition this offseason starting with the free agent signing of veteran Justin Coleman.

The selection of Holland was surprising not only because he wasn't recognized as the top safety in the draft, but also because of the big names that were still available, including Moehrig, Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins.

The Dolphins took Holland one spot after the Denver Broncos selected running back Javonte Williams at 35 after moving up five spots in the second round with a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.

Williams, of course, was the last of the Big Three running back prospects available after Najee Harris and Travis Etienne went in Round 1 and it was thought that Williams might have been Miami's target.

Instead, they went with Holland, continuing to slow down the notion that this draft was strictly about getting offensive help for Tua Tagovailoa.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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