The Dolphins added to the secondary with former Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. Labeling Melifonwu with any exact distinction might be short-changing this do-it-all chess piece for Miami's defense. He adds an element of physicality and versatility that should provide Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver ample opportunity to cook up ways to deploy his new safety.
Where's Iffy?
Watching Lions tape quickly becomes a game of finding "Iffy" Melifonwu. His usage in the Lions secondary was unpredictable. He played 20 yards off the football in split safety looks. He's pressed up against slot receivers and tight ends close to the formation. He played in the second level as a quasi-linebacker. There's nothing he hasn't done in his 37 games as a pro.
Melifonwu keeps the defense from becoming too predictable. He's played 41 percent of his snaps in the post (deep safety), 34 percent in the box and 22 percent in the slot. When on the field, he was a force multiplier that opposing quarterbacks needed to identify every snap.
Watch the blitz!
One of the reasons Melifonwu is so impactful moving about the defense is his ability to blitz from anywhere. Weaver's first season with Jalen Ramsey, who weighs the same and is just one inch shorter than Melifonwu, saw the All-Pro cornerback blitz 47 times, generating 12 quarterback pressures, a sack and three batted passes.
Melifonwu has been called upon to blitz 36 times in his career, producing 21 pressures (58.3 percent pressure rate), 4.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and two batted passes on those blitz opportunities. A defense featuring two players of this caliber presents multiple rush and simulated pressure opportunities – especially with Jordyn Brooks returning for his second season with the Dolphins.
Scouting Combine legend
Ifeatu Melifonwu had big shoes to fill when he took to the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine. His brother, Obi, challenged records in the vertical (44 inches) and broad jumps (11-09) while running a 4.4 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds.
Iffy didn't disappoint – measuring at 41.5 inches on his vertical jump, 11-02 on the broad jump, clocking a 4.48 time in the 40-yard dash, and doing all of that at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.
Those rare athletic traits are all over Melifonwu's tape. He can align down around the line of scrimmage and show blitz before wheeling out into coverage 30 yards downfield. His athleticism and versatility open up what Weaver can do with both his coverage and rush schemes.
Communication and anticipation
It's easy to be distracted when watching world class athletes perform, but the suddenness of Melifonwu's game is a testament not just to his athletic prowess, but also his preparation and instincts. His communication and football I.Q. jumps off the film by how he reads, anticipates and triggers to make the play.
His versatility led to him being responsible for chasing the motion man most of the time. Motion before the snap is designed to cause communication errors in the defense, but with Melifonwu directing traffic, those busts were few and far between. On tape, he's constantly motioning and moving players in a rather animated fashion.
New York Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn coached Melifonwu in Detroit and praised his ability to communicate the defense from a position that was new to him (he converted from cornerback to safety in 2022).
"Now he understands exactly what we're looking for in a safety," Glenn said. "It's communication. That's what has really improved. He's already a smart guy…He went out there and really showed what he can do last week, and I'm expecting him to continue to grow."
Brian Duker reunion
Dolphins Defensive Pass Game Coordinator and Secondary Coach Brian Duker was in Detroit when the Lions drafted Melifonwu out of Syracuse. An economics major, Melifonwu is often praised for his intelligence and studious nature.
"(Ifeatu is) very active in the meetings," Duker said ahead of the 2022 season. "He asks questions, we ask him questions. I feel very good about where he is mentally based on everything that I've seen in the meetings."
Duker now gets the chance to coach Melifonwu in Miami.
For more information on Ifeatu Melifonwu and the entire Dolphins 2025 free agency class, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
