A look at cornerbacks that the Dolphins can choose from in first three rounds and feedback
Biggest shock of the Dolphins offseason?
The fact that general manager Chris Grier -- who often says “you can never have enough cornerbacks” -- hasn’t signed a starting corner 2 1/2 weeks into free agency, despite releasing 2024 starter Kendall Fuller.
Miami added a potential fourth through sixth cornerback in Artie Burns, but the roster currently lacks a clear-cut starter opposite Jalen Ramsey and nickel corner Kader Kohou, who could play boundary cornerback if needed.
The other corners on the roster are largely unproven: Cam Smith (who had a disappointing second season and began and ended it on injured reserve), Storm Duck, Isaiah Johnson, Ryan Cooper Jr., Jason Maitre and Ethan Bonner.
The remaining free agent class isn’t particularly good, which likely leaves Miami compelled to take a corner in the first three rounds of the draft on April 22-24.
A look at the corners projected potentially to go in the first three rounds and feedback on each:
▪ Michigan’s Will Johnson:
He’s considered the best boundary cornerback in the draft (if you exclude Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who also can play receiver), but there are durability concerns.
He missed the second half of last season with a toe injury and has been sidelined with a hamstring issue earlier this spring. He’ll work out for scouts on Michigan’s campus in April.
Johnson, 6-2, had three interceptions returned for touchdowns in his career. In his six starts last season, he had two interceptions, allowed no touchdowns and posted a superb 52.6 passer rating in his coverage area: 16 for 26 completed for 195 yards (12.2 per catch).
He had nine career interceptions and “always seems to be around the football,” said ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who mocks him 16th overall but ranks him the 10th best prospect.
Most draft analysts have him going a few spots after Miami picks 13th. But he would be tempting if he’s there at 13.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says “teams love big, fluid cornerbacks with ball production and that is exactly what Johnson offers. He’s instinctive and plays with good body control and change of direction in space.”
But “he might lack the recovery speed to close the distance at a desired rate. He has coveted traits and his areas of concern fail to stand out as impediments for what could become a long, successful career as a future Pro Bowler.”
NFL Net’s Daniel Jeremiah slots him 16th and says: “While some inconsistencies popped up in Johnson’s 2024 tape, it’s hard to find big, rangy corners with his ball skills.”
▪ Texas’ Jahdae Barron:
The Longhorns 5-11 corner has risen up some draft boards; NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Miami trading down to 16 to take him.
Projections for him vary widely: Jeremiah has him 11th, Kiper 24th.
“Barron is one of the most consistent players on tape among prospects in this year’s class and he can take the ball away,” Jeremiah said.
Kiper noted: “He ran a 4.39 at the combine, showing his speed. And he played more than 600 snaps at both slot corner and outside corner over the past two seasons, showing his versatility.”
Barron was elite last season, picking off five passes, allowing no TDs and yielding 37 of 68 passes to be caught for 284 yards, just 7.7 per catch. That computes to an exceptional 34.2 passer rating in his coverage area.
Reuter, in mocking Barron to Miami in a slight trade down, said: “Barron proved his long speed at the NFL Scouting Combine, so he could man the perimeter cornerback spot opposite Jalen Ramsey. That said, his inside/outside versatility is a major strength.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who mocks Barron 24th, noted that “there isn’t a secondary position that Barron hasn’t played.” He’s a natural slot corner but is big enough and skilled enough to play on the boundary.
If Miami drafted him, coaches would need to decide where to put Kader Kohou and Barron, with slot and boundary an option for both. Those two and Ramsey would be Miami’s top three corners if the Dolphins drafted Barron.
▪ Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston:
Kiper has the 5-11 Hairston going 29th, adding: “He can create takeaways (six INTs over the past two seasons). And he ran a 4.28 at the combine, the fastest 40-yard dash across all positions this year.”
Jeremiah mocks him 23rd.
ESPN’s Reid has him 30th, adding: “Heading into the combine, Hairston was clumped into a cluster of corners who were in the late-Day 1 to early-Day 2 range. But a good performance in Indy catapulted him to the top of the group, highlighted by his 4.28-second 40.
“His loose movements and fluidity allow him to easily change directions and attack the ball out of the air. He maintained his physicality this past season even though a nagging shoulder injury limited him to five games.”
On the plus side, he allowed no touchdowns last season (to go with one interception) and just 12 completions in 22 targets. But those 12 completions went for 262 yards, equal to 21.8 yards per catch.
▪ FSU’s Azareye’h Thomas:
Like Hairston, he’s an option if the Dolphins trade down in the first round. He had a superb 50.2 passer rating in his coverage area last season: one interception, no touchdowns allowed, and 17 completions in 33 targets for just 141 yards (8.3 per reception).
Kiper has him 26th, noting that he’s “big, quick and long. And while he doesn’t have eye-popping INT numbers (two over three seasons), he makes plays on the ball. He broke up 19 passes at FSU.”
Jeremiah has him 29th, adding: “Thomas is a long [6-1 ½], rangy cornerback who can match up with some of the bigger receivers in the NFC East.”
Reid slots him 36th, adding: “He’s arguably the best press-man corner in this draft despite being only 20 years old.”
▪ Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison:
The 6-0 Morrison missed the final 10 games with a hip injury, which will draw scrutiny this offseason.
Reuter mocks him 75th, late in the second round. But Reid has him 42nd, six slots before Miami’s second-round pick.
“A pure technician, Morrison is a sticky cover corner with great ball skills (nine career interceptions),” Reid said.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said his “eye-catching ball production must be balanced out by his inconsistencies in coverage. [Playing in] a more zone-oriented scheme could make sense, while helping to minimize areas of concern.”
▪ Mississippi’s Trey Amos:
His 15 pass breakups were the second highest in the FBS last season, and he also intercepted three passes while yielding two touchdowns and an outstanding 54.5 passer rating in his coverage area, while allowing 51.6 percent of passes against him to be caught for a decent 8.8 per catch.
Among evaluators, there’s a huge disparity in where he belongs in this draft.
ESPN’s Reid mocks him 57th, calling him “an experienced corner with tremendous ball skills.”
But Jeremiah has Amos 26th,adding: “The only question I had about Amos was his pure speed, but he put any concerns to rest at the NFL Scouting Combine with his 4.43-second 40-yard dash.”
Zierlein said the 6-1 Amos is a “long press cornerback who proved he could make the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC without a hitch. Amos uses physicality and length to shrink the 50/50 odds in his favor. Amos needs to ramp up his run support and trust his eyes in space, but he has the goods to become a solid starting outside corner.”
▪ Iowa State’s Darien Porter:
The 6-3 Porter had three interceptions last season, his first picks during six years with the Cyclones.
NFL.com’s Reuter has him 61st.
Zierlein said he has “elite traits and special teams talent but only one year of starting experience at cornerback. Porter’s rep total is heavy on zone coverages but he has the athleticism, burst and speed to handle more man coverage.. His athletic profile and instant impact on special teams should create more confidence in projecting Porter’s continued ascension as a CB2/CB3.”
▪ East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr.:
He’s coming off a September ACL tear; prior to that, “he was on track to being a late first-rounder,” said ESPN’s Reid, who mocks him 46th, two spots before Miami’s pick.
NFL.com’s Reuter has him 53rd. But ESPN analyst and former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum has him going in the 20s.
Zierlein said the 6-2 Revel is “big, long and fast… he has ideal length and good vision from zone, and he should continue to improve in that coverage with more experience. His measurables, explosiveness and upside give him a good chance to become an early starter.”
▪ Louisville’s Quincy Riley:
Reuter mocks him 90th, and he’s a Dolphins possibility at 98. The 5-11 Riley allowed three TDs last season but also had two interceptions and a 73 passer rating against.
Most impressive: He permitted just 47 percent of his passes in his coverage area to be caught (31 for 65 for 446 yards, or 14.4 per catch).
Zielien said: “Riley’s performance took a dip in 2024 but his tape shows the same strengths and weaknesses from the year prior. The ball production looks nice, but his indecisiveness and lack of awareness cause inconsistencies from zone and off-man coverage He must learn to play with quicker eyes and better focus to become more than a quality backup with inside/outside potential.”
▪ California’s Nohl Williams:
Reuter mocks him 87th, and he’s a Dolphins possibility at 98.
He led the nation with seven interceptions last season, allowing three TDs and 31 completions in 65 attempts for 350 yards (11.1 per catch). That computes to a 40.1 passer rating
Zielein said the 6-0 Williams is a “long cornerback with eye-popping interception totals [14 in his career] that could skew his evaluation. Williams’ inconsistency in run support could be a concern, but his size and ball production are hard to ignore.”
▪ Southern California’s Jaylin Smith:
Reuter mocks him 95th, and he’s a Dolphins possibility at 98.
He had a very good 62.5 passer rating against, with no TDs allowed and two interceptions while yielding 26 catches for 42 yards for 289 yards (11.1 per reception).
Zierlein said the 5-10 ½ Smith has “measurables and ball production that could leave teams lukewarm on his NFL prospects. The 2024 tape was better and he does offer some inside/outside flexibility, but he might be fighting for a roster spot throughout his career.”
▪ Ohio State’s Denzel Burke:
Reuter mocks him 97th, and he’s a Dolphins possibility at 98.
He had a 95.4 passer rating against last season, with two TDs allowed and two interceptions. He allowed too high a percentage of completions – 34 of 47 for 413 yards (12.1 per catch).
Zierlein calls the 5-11 Burke a “productive four-year starter with the ability to press and navigate zone coverages. Burke possesses NFL size and strength,... fits as a downhill zone corner with special-teams ability.”
▪ Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish:
Another third round option.
The 5-10 Parrish, a two-year starter, was very good in coverage last season, allowing just a 73.3 passer rating: 40 for 72 for 371 yards (9.3 per catch), two touchdowns allowed and one interception.
He has “ball skills and athleticism for inside/outside versatility,” Zierlein said. “He needs more seasoning but has the athletic tools and ball skills to compete for a role as a CB3.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 12:29 PM.
