University of Oregon coach heavily praises Miami Dolphins selection of ‘absolute monster’ Jevon Holland

Current University of Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal was lavish in his praise of Miami Dolphins draft pick Jevon Holland.

Of course, Cristobal coached Holland while he played at Oregon.

Holland joins the Dolphins secondary and was the first of the team’s two second-round selections, with Cristobal indicating that his former player should have gone higher.

“That’s a phenomenal pick,” Cristobal said. “That’s a first-round talent and a first-round player. At the end of the day he played only two years of college ball but you’ve got yourselves an absolute monster. You really did.”

Asked to elaborate on what makes Holland stand out, Cristobal pointed to Holland’s versatility as well as his passion for the game.

“He is that really rare, large human being that can play corner, that can play nickel, can play safety,” Cristobal said. “You would get a lot out of watching his high school tape and high school highlights because when we were recruiting him — and him and Penei [Sewell] were in the same year — we were like, ‘Alright we came here, the place is 4-8 and we got to turn this thing around and these two are game-changers.’

“This guy will lock down anybody as a corner, as a nickel, as a safety. He’s going to be elite as a returner. And his personality is off the charts … He played with guts, he played with passion, he’s a tremendous tackler — I’m talking about launching his body at people.

“He can run the alley like a safety would in quarters or go fit the box like a linebacker and stone you and knock your [butt] back. He’s an exceptional, exceptional talent. He’s an elite guy, man.”

Cristobal was born and raised in Miami, and that enthusiasm is why he begged the Dolphins to also choose Sewell, an offensive lineman who was drafted by the Detroit Lions. That came after last year, when he pushed for them to select quarterback Justin Herbert, but the Dolphins instead chose Tua Tagovailoa.

While praise from a college coach is something that usually occurs before and after a draft, it’s clear that Cristobal’s interest in the fortunes of the Dolphins remains.

Holland will join the solid talent that’s been amassed in the Dolphins’ secondary and is no doubt looking to make an impact as a rookie. That could be huge with the team pointing toward a spot in the postseason.