Dolphins hire new special teams coach, dish on young cornerbacks and what to expect
The Dolphins filled the one significant opening on their coaching staff on Tuesday when they hired Craig Aukerman as their special teams coordinator, as NFL Network reported. He replaces Danny Crossman, who was not retained after six seasons with the team.
Aukerman has been the Tennessee Titans’ special teams coordinator from 2018 through most of the 2023 season. Aukerman, who was an assistant special teams coach for the Rams last season, also coached the Chargers’ special teams in 2016.
The Titans fired Aukerman in December 2023 after a nightmarish game in which Tennessee had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, then had another punt result in a fumble. Then-coach Mike Vrabel dismissed Aukerman the day after that game instead of waiting until the end of the season.
NFL writer Rick Gosselin uses a formula to rates teams’ performance on special teams. The Titans were ranked between 14th and 24th in those rankings in each of Aukerman’s seasons in Tennessee.
But Pro Football Focus rated Aukerman’s special teams highly -- second best in the league in 2022 and eighth best in 2023.
Besides serving as special teams coach for the Titans and Chargers, Aukerman also has been a defensive assistant for Denver and Jacksonville. .
Previously, he was an assistant at four universities -- Findlay, Miami (Ohio), Western Kentucky and Kent State.
Aukerman, 48, is an Ohio native who was a defensive back and wide receiver at Findlay.
Cornerback talk
The Dolphins, who always seem to be able to find defensive back talent after the draft, have assembled an interesting collection of young cornerbacks: Storm Duck, disappointing former second rounder Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner, Isaiah Johnson and Jason Maitre.
The question is whether any of those five - all of whom went undrafted except Smith - will emerge as a longterm rotation player.
Smith appears at a career crossroads, after beginning and ending last season on injured reserve and allowing a 122 passer rating in between. Late in the season, defensive backs coach Brian Duker made clear that Smith must be in better shape to lessen his risk of injury.
At this point, Duck might be best positioned for a significant role. He finished the season as the Dolphins’ No. 4 cornerback; for the season, he permitted a 104.5 passer rating in his coverage area, with 24 completions in 33 targets for 251 yards, one touchdown yielded and no interceptions.
“He doesn’t make those repeat mistakes,” cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo said of Duck. “He’s done an amazing job for us. He does what he’s asked to do showing up every day, working on his technique. He’s naturally a more quiet guy. He asks the right questions.”
Here’s how Duker sized up the other young corners:
▪ Duker on Smith, who permitted 19 receptions on 22 targets for 174 yards: “The biggest thing I’ve talked to Cam about is we would like to see him put on the body armor to play [and be in] full shape. He needs to be in shape to do that. Your body has to be in shape to do that.”
Pressed further on whether he’s in bad shape, Duker said reporters should ask the team trainer, who’s unavailable for interviews.
(Araujo said of Smith: “The big thing I want to work on with him is continued confidence in his technique and attacking the football. [Improving] play strength will help that. He was working on getting stronger when he was on IR. His technique has improved drastically. He needs continued reps and as his play strength increases, you will see more balance in his game and the ability to attack the point of attack more often.”)
▪ Duker on Bonner, who played just 16 defensive snaps and will be competing for a roster spot in training camp: “I feel confident in him. Long, fast corner. I like his professionalism and approach, have tons of confidence putting him in the game.”
▪ Duker on the 6-3 Johnson, who spent the season on the practice squad and was signed to a contract earlier this month: “The first thing that shows up is he is one of smartest corners I’ve been around. Big, and the versatile skill set he has gives you the ability to cover bigger bodies. His intelligence combined with his length and movement skills allows you to move him around. He could play safety and cover a tight end.”
▪ Duker on Maitre, who impressed in training camp with the Dolphins, was cut, spent some time with the Giants, rejoined the Dolphins practice squad on Dec. 4 and signed a new contract with the team after the season:
“Maitre to me has a lot of Kader [Kohou] traits in him,” Duker said. “He’s quick, played a lot of nickel for us. I like his ball skills. He’s quick minded, does a good job of communication. Good blitzer. He does a good job with drops.”
Meanwhile, third-year cornerback Kohou had an excellent third season, allowing just a 76 passer rating in his coverage area, with two interceptions and two touchdowns yielded.
“I had high expectations for Kader,” Duker said. “Kader does a really nice job preparing .. He’s a calming presence on the back end, and we appreciate that about him. He communicates well. He’s where he’s supposed to be. You notice the defense moves better when he’s out there.”
This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 1:31 PM.
