Exploring Dolphins’ cornerback options in draft. Two SEC corners in play at No. 11
The Dolphins badly need to augment cornerback (and a half dozen other positions) in this roster overhaul, and they’ll have ample opportunity in April’s draft.
For weeks, two Southeastern Conference cornerbacks have been projected for Miami’s range at 11: Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
Delane, who has been a popular mock draft option for Miami, is visiting Dolphins headquarters on Tuesday to meet with coaches and executives.
Delane (6-0) would be a justified choice at 11: he held receivers to a 27 passer rating in his coverage area, “excels in press coverage, altering release timing with punches and slides,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said. “Smooth hips and efficient footwork keep him connected in man coverage, while his processing allows for quick transitions in off-man and short zone looks.
“ He has good top-end speed ... but is inconsistent turning to find the football. While he locks in on the route at times, he’s rarely oblivious to the quarterback’s actions, allowing him to slam catch windows shut and play the football. He played through a core muscle injury for much of the 2025 season and still performed at an elite level. Delane’s emergence over the past two years might be indicative of what’s to come, as he’s shown lockdown potential.”
What’s more, he allowed just 28% of passes in his coverage area to be caught (third best in FBS) and his 3.3 yards allowed per attempt ranked seventh. He then impressed teams by running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
As for McCoy, he missed last season with a torn ACL but has six interceptions in two college seasons — two at Oregon State in 2023 and four at Tennessee in 2024. The ball skills are so impressive that he remains a top-half-to-middle-of-the-first-round projection despite missing last season.
“McCoy missed the 2025 season due to injury, but his 2024 tape was outstanding,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s squarely in the mix to be the top CB in the draft.”
NFL.com’s Zierlein said the 6-0 McCoy “is a toolsy outside corner with CB1 flashes, but an ACL tear robbed him of a much-needed third season. Hips and feet are smooth. He’s athletic in his recoveries but average acceleration leaves him chasing too often on go routes.. We should expect McCoy’s athletic traits and instincts to help him make up for lost time once he gets into camp.”
ESPN’s Field Yates has Delane 10th and McCoy 12th in his recent mock draft.
Potential Dolphins options at 30 or 43
That group of cornerbacks includes (and keep in mind that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has signed only six-foot-plus cornerbacks during his first three months on the job):
▪ South Carolina’s 6-0 Brandon Cisse: He’s an option at 30, with an outside shot of 43.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. notes Cisse “had only one interception across the past two seasons, but he did have 12 pass breakups over that time, so the ball skills are there.”
Zierlein said: “A lack of instincts and break anticipation could cost him in coverage against quality route runners. Cisse’s traits and competitiveness are clear selling points, but a lack of on-ball production and coverage consistency create a more volatile floor.”
▪ Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is most often now mocked early in the second round.
Zierlein said: “Hood has average size but excellent play speed and toughness. Hood is consistently in position down the field — he can locate and play the ball — but will get grabby at times when the ball is in the air. Overall, Hood is a complete player and should be a very solid starter immediately at the next level.”
Hood, who stands 6-0, played one year apiece at Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee.
▪ Clemson’s Avieon Terrell: At 5-11, he’s a bit shorter than Miami’s preference. But Terrell is a ball hawk and has eight forced fumbles the past two seasons. He can play on the boundary or in the slot, and most mocks have him going in the range of 30-35. One negative: A hamstring injury prevented him from finishing drills at Clemson’s pro day.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said Terrell, who’s the younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, “doesn’t have elite size — and it shows at times versus bigger targets. But he does have NFL-level athleticism and competes like a linebacker.”
▪ San Diego State’s Chris Johnson: A potential option at 43 but likely not at 30, the 6-0 Johnson had five interceptions during the past two seasons and is projected as a mid-to-late second rounder.
ESPN’s Field Yates mocks him 39th, noting “Johnson was an opportunistic playmaker at San Diego State and has excellent ball skills and reactive athletic movements. He blazed a 4.40 in the 40 at the Combine as well.”
▪ UM’s Keionte Scott: A ball-hawking, playmaking revelation for the Hurricanes last season, Scott rose from an afterthought at Auburn to a legitimate Day 2 prospect and helped himself even more by running in the low 4.3 range at UM’s Pro Day. He’s potentially an option at 43, but not at 30. And his 5-11 size might work against him with Miami.
“Scott’s play style and tackle production resemble that of a Will linebacker,” Zierlein said. “He’s edgy and urgent near the line with an ability to slip or play off of blocks. He can snuff out run plays before they get started. “...Scott’s blitz talent off the edge makes him a value-added rusher. He needs to play in a scheme that allows him to keep his eyes forward, but Scott’s football character should make him a team favorite as a starting nickelback.”
Possible in second round or third round
▪ Arizona’s Treydan Stukes: A safety/corner, the 6-1 Stukes would an option more in the third round that at 43. “Stukes is a hybrid player who can effectively impact the running game (28 tackles on designed rushes in 2025) and produce in coverage [four INTs],” said Yates, who mocks him 60th. His age (26) works against him as a prospect.
▪ Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun: He has size (6-2) and lots of big-game experience (53 career starts). Zierlein said he fits “the mold of a press corner with good size and long arms.... Improving his technique and getting him to trust it will be critical in reducing penalties. He is tough, strong and a willing run defender. Traits raise the ceiling to CB2 in a zone-heavy scheme, but his floor as an average backup might be a more likely outcome.”
▪ Arkansas’ Julian Neal: Zierlein said the 6-1 Neal is “a late-blooming, fifth-year cornerback with the size, length and strength NFL teams desire for a press corner.”
▪ Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds: A ball hawk, but his 5-9 frame will work against him with some teams.
Zierlein said Ponds is “a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.”
▪ UF’s Devin Moore: Could the Dolphins select a Florida corner for the second consecutive season, after snagging Jason Marshall Jr. in the fifth round last season?
“Moore is a verified 6-3, with 32-inch arms and the talent to cover receivers up and down the field,” Brugler said.
▪ Oregon’s Jadon Canady: Canady (5-10) “carries a slender frame with short arms but is brimming with confidence as a sticky slot option,” Zierlein said. “Canady is worth a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick as a future starting slot corner.”
▪ Duke’s Chandler Rivers: Rivers (5-9), who started 45 games at Duke, “competed hard when lined up outside but figures to scoot inside in the NFL due to his lack of size and length,” Zierlein said. “He should appeal to teams looking for a nickelback on Day 3.” But his size could work against him with this Dolphins regime.
▪ Other second-day and early third-day options include Arizona State’s Keith Abney II; Toledo’s Avery Smith Stephen F. Austin’s Charles Demmings (who is visiting Dolphins headquarters this week); Georgia’s Daylen Everette, Georgia; North Carolina’s Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina; Oregon State’s Skyler Thomas; and Cal’s Hezekiah Masses.
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 10:09 AM.
