Here’s why Jordan Poyer is No. 17 on our Dolphins’ Top 20 players countdown

(Part of a series counting down to the start of 2024 Dolphins training camp.)

DeShon Elliott performed capably at safety last season for the Dolphins. But when he departed for Pittsburgh, it left the Dolphins in a spot. Jevon Holland isn’t going anywhere and is one of the Dolphins’ young stars, but he can fill only one safety position.

The Dolphins accomplished two things when they signed Jordan Poyer in free agency for the other safety role. They filled a need with a player who has All-Pro credentials. And he’s a former member of the Buffalo Bills, leading coach Mike McDaniel to joke “if you can’t beat ‘em. …”

Poyer said the transition has gone smoothly. Having been “on the other side for seven years, I’ve seen them grow,” he said of the Dolphins. He’s also no stranger to South Florida, having maintained a residence in Broward County for seven years.

Why Jordan Poyer is No. 17

Poyer immediately earned a starting job with the Bills when he joined them in 2017 and didn’t let it go until he left this offseason. He’s durable. Poyer missed only eight games over seven seasons in Buffalo despite rarely coming off the field.

For his career, Poyer has 24 interceptions.

Telling stat

Pro Football Reference says quarterbacks targeted Poyer’s man 51 times last season, most in the past six years, for 35 completions, 357 yards and a rating of 101.5, compared to 42.2 in his All-Pro year of 2021 and 60.1 when the made the Pro Bowl in 2022.

How we see Poyer’s future

Depends on how you define “future.” Poyer is 33 years old, so this signing smells like a one- or possibly two-year venture, and one that comes with a team-friendly cap number of not quite $2 million.

So not only did Poyer fill an immediate need, he did so at a time when the Dolphins weren’t flush with cap flexibility.

But it would be a mistake to shortchange the impact Poyer can make in whatever time he has with the Dolphins. Poyer has spoken about his desire to take Holland under his wing. Holland says he’s eager to hear whatever Poyer has to say.

Beyond that, Poyer was the driving force for regular get-togethers for players in the secondary, enabling them to grab a bite and get to know one another off the field.

“Our first day, he was super open, wants everyone to learn from him,” DB Nik Needham said. “He’s not trying to act like, ‘I’m the big 12-year vet.’ He’s very open. He has us over for dinner. We haven’t done that as a DB group since I’ve been here. Having that I feel like will create more camaraderie and have us be successful on the field, because we’ll really know each other.”

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal. Click here to subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins 2024: Our Top 20 player countdown rolls on with Jordan Poyer