If you want to gather a good feel for how the Miami Dolphins covet defensive backs, we offer some advice — watch a lot of tape from the Auburn Tigers’ 2019 defensive campaign. The Dolphins have now added three members of the Tigers’ secondary from last season, the latest addition coming via the waiver wire this weekend.
The Dolphins announced yesterday that the team had added former Auburn safety Jeremiah Dinson off of the waiver wire — reuniting him with Miami’s 1st-round pick, CB Noah Igbinoghene.
We have been awarded safety Jeremiah Dinson off waivers from Detroit, placed defensive tackle Brandin Bryant on the reserve/COVID-19 list and activated guard Ereck Flowers. pic.twitter.com/TrWE4ifoQQ
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 15, 2020
Prior to adding Dinson, the Dolphins added (and subsequently waived) rookie CB Javaris Davis as well — meaning the Dolphins are clearly drawn to something in the makeup of Auburn defensive backs. Perhaps it is all the team speed in the secondary. Or maybe the Tigers’ coverage assignments reflect a lot of what the Dolphins are going to ask their talent to execute at the pro level.
There’s a correlation here — three separate additions over the course of one offseason from the same secondary. Davis won’t play for the Dolphins and Dinson may not make the team either, but at the very least we can look for examples of play in Auburn’s 2019 tape and then identify the corresponding parallels in the Dolphins’ coverage this season in hopes of better identifying what the makeup is of a Brian Flores defensive back.