Dolphins select UF cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. with second of three fifth-round picks
The Dolphins finally addressed cornerback on Saturday when they plucked former Florida Gators defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. with the 150th pick.
Miami badly needs corners after cutting Kendall Fuller and mutually agreeing to try to trade Jalen Ramsey.
Marshall, who attended Miami Palmetto High, had 98 tackles (including eight for loss), two interceptions and 25 passes defended in four seasons and 45 games for the Gators.
The 6-0 Marshall was limited to seven games by injury last season and had 20 tackles, no interceptions and four passes defended. He missed the final six games with a shoulder injury.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein called him an “outside cornerback with good size, athleticism and experience but too much inconsistency on tape. Marshall can disrupt the release from press and ride route turns to stay in position to defend the throw. He falls asleep against play-action and misdirection.
“Also, he has poor hands when it’s time to flip the field. For his size, he’s a disappointing tackler, especially in run support. The lack of urgency and determination Marshall shows on tape could hurt his stock.”
He was a five-star prospect coming out of Palmetto and ran a 4.49 in the 40 yard dash at the Combine.
Zierlein said his strengths are:
- Possesses prototypical size for his position.
- Big punch jolts receivers as a press defender.
- Smooth movements to trace the route break.
- Good knee-bend for fluid transitions.
- Has size and strength to hinder catch space.
Zierlein said his weaknesses are:
- Falls asleep against play-action and misdirection.
- Left interceptions on the field because of poor catch coordination.
- Doesn’t play with enough determination when he falls behind on a play.
- Slips inside blocks and loses contain against wide runs.
- Catches more contact that he delivers as a tackler.
At Miami Palmetto High, Marshall was a two-time first-team all-county selection and a two-way star. As a senior, Marshall recorded 17 tackles, one tackle for loss, three interceptions and one forced fumble, and caught nine passes for 119 yards and a touchdown to help Palmetto reach the state semifinals for the first time in program history.
The Panthers are now the first South Florida team, and most likely will wind up as the only one, with multiple alumni picked in the 2025 Draft.
As the Dolphins, they now have these experienced cornerbacks under contract: Ramsey (for now), Kohou, Cam Smith, Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner, Artie Burns Jr, plus developmental players Isaiah Johnson, Ryan Cooper Jr., and Jason Maitre.
This story was originally published April 26, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
