Star safety Jevon Holland is set to hit the open market after reports that the Miami Dolphins will not use the franchise tag on the former second-round pick. Holland should be a top priority for the Jets as soon as free agency opens. The 24-year-old would fit right in as the Jets look to improve a lackluster safety group.
Four of the Jets’ top safeties in 2024 are set to hit free agency. The back end of the Jets‘ defense needs to be revamped. Adding Holland would give the Jets a dynamic playmaker and would fill a major need. Holland, once viewed as a cornerstone for the Dolphins seems more likely to change teams than ever. With the Dolphins’ lack of cap space and needs elsewhere, there is a good chance Holland will be available for the Jets if they want him. Holland will likely become one of the highest-paid defensive backs in the league. How does he fit with the Jets and should they pursue him?
Why the Jets should target Jevon Holland in Free Agency
With a brand new regime in town, the New York Jets are set to attack this offseason with a clean slate. The team has key pieces in place, however the way new GM Darren Mougey decides to build the rest of the roster will look different than it has in the past. The Jets in recent years have not put much emphasis on bolstering the safety room. They were never big spenders at the position and hadn’t used more than a 7th round pick on one since 2020.
The need for a dynamic safety had been there, but the scheme the Jets were running didn’t make the position overly important. Now, with a new defense in place, the safety position could be a bigger focus. The Jets are set to have abundant cap space with the moves on the horizon, and Holland is the top safety available in free agency.
Jevon Holland has had an up-and-down career with the Dolphins. He entered the league in 2021 and made an immediate impact. Holland quickly became one of the top safeties in the league and headlined the Dolphins’ defense.
Holland has been elite at times in coverage over his career. 2024 was a different story, however. He surrendered a career-worst 302 yards in coverage and opposing QBs had a 111.3 passer rating when targeting him. Holland also struggled with his tackling in 2024. Overall it was a season to forget.
There has been a lot of talk about his attitude and drive over the past year and how it could be impacting his play. He has been criticized for immature behavior such as celebrating the firing of Vic Fangio, which looks even worse after Fangio led the Eagles defense to a Super Bowl this past season.
How would Holland fit with the Jets defense?
Holland, at his best, is a game-changer. He is an instinctual player who can be great in coverage down the field and also fit the run. In 2023 he had a case for being the top safety in the league. He was the engine of the Dolphins’ defense and was the top-graded safety by PFF before his season got derailed by injuries. The inconsistent play since then is concerning but a change of scenery could get him back to playing elite football.
His first few seasons were no fluke. He has the elite caliber play in him and he’s only 24. This would be a great opportunity for the Jets to get a high level talent in the building and build upon what is already a talented defense.
Aaron Glenn has had a major part in developing young DBs such as Kerby Joseph. Holland can get back to an elite level of play under Glenn and can hit the ground running with the other talent in the Jets’ defense. The pass defense for the Jets with elite safety play could become nightmarish for opposing teams. Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II already provide an elite DB duo and adding Holland would take the DB group to another level.
If Holland is willing to buy into Aaron Glenn and his defense, the fit makes a ton of sense. A young safety who is not far removed from elite play on a defense that needs help in the back end feels like a match made in heaven.
