‘A fluid situation.’ Who will be the Dolphins’ starting cornerback in 2026?
It’s no secret that cornerback happens to be one of the Miami Dolphins’ worst units.
Prior to the selection of Chris Johnson, the room consisted of two players who had season-ending injuries in 2025, one who allowed a 124.1 passer rating when targeted, another who gave up 15 touchdowns during his three-year stint as a starter, someone who played out of position as a rookie, a seventh-round pick who most recently was burned for 14.2 yards per completion and a trio that has never started an NFL game.
It’s safe to say that Johnson, who the Dolphins added with the No. 27 pick, was a welcome addition to the group. And while you would hope that the former San Diego State standout can lock down one side of the field, who will start on the other side — and at nickel — remains to be seen.
“There’s some other young defensive backs that we’re working with just to try to figure out who has the ability to service us both inside and outside,” cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae said Wednesday, calling the depth chart “a fluid situation.”
Despite the competition, it’s unlikely that Ethan Robinson, Miles Battle and Ethan Bonner, all of whom have yet to start, wrestle away either of the open cornerback spots. At nickel, however, the Dolphins have a bit of conundrum. Coach Jeff Hafley has already stated that Jason Marshall Jr., who lined up at nickel for the first time in 2025, will play on the outside.
And while Johnson has some inside-outside experience, it’s still unclear where he will line up in the nickel packages.
“He’s definitely talented enough,” defensive coordinator Sean Duggan said, later adding that they plan to do ”what’s best” for the team. “If you want him to play inside and outside, you put too much on his plate maybe it takes away from his technique outside. We don’t want to do that.”
As far as the second outside cornerback is concerned, the most logical answer would be JuJu Brents, who looked impressive in his two starts in 2025 prior to sustaining a foot injury in Week 11 that required season-ending surgery. With Brents, however, injuries are always concern considering the former second-round pick has played in just 18 games in three years.
“He looks great, he’s pushing forward,” Addae said, adding that the Dolphins have been cautious with his rehab. “The thing about Ju is that he’s a pleaser. What you give him, he wants to do, That’s a gift and a curse because sometimes those guys can push themselves a little bit too hard to return.”
Storm Duck, a favorite of the last regime, finds himself in a similar position. The then-second-year cornerback suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, something that will see him return “a little bit later” than Brents. Duck, however, has impressed with his mental makeup.
“The thing about Storm is his mental capacity,” Addae said. “What he’s able to retain then regurgitate — he’s a sharp dude.”
Wilson and Baker could certainly compete for the outside role as well. The two have the most experience — 37 and 25 starts, respectively — yet neither has necessarily performed well.
A fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, Wilson started 37 of 44 games during his first three seasons. The issue: he posted just three interceptions, gave up 15 touchdowns and 12.5 yards per completion during that span. Since then, he has bounced around to the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals as well as failed to record another start.
Conversely, Baker has seen his number of starts steadily increase in his four years, going from none to six to nine to finally 10 in 2025. The jump in playing time, however, has also coincided with quarterbacks tending to pick on him as opposing quarterbacks completed 70% of their passes for four touchdowns and a 124.1 passer rating in his direction.
Addae, however, deemed Baker the elder statesmen of the room.
“He’s been through it, and you can tell,” Addae said. “With that, he has a different lens that he sees things through.”
In Marshall and Alex Austin, the Dolphins have two players who not only were third-day picks but also received a bit of playing time early in their careers. Austin has started a total of six games since being selected in the seventh round in 2023, recording two picks and allowing quarterbacks to complete only 50% of their passes for just four touchdowns.
Similarly, Marshall started just one game yet play just under a one-third of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps in his 12 appearances. His numbers weren’t great — he gave up 14.7 yards per completion as well as recorded one interception and four pass deflections — yet an argument can be made that this was because he played out position as a nickel.
His switch back to the outside could be worthwhile.
“I see him just more as an outside corner,” Duggan said. “Whether that’s the boundary or the field depends on what the plan is for that week or who we’re playing.”
As the Dolphins flesh out more of the roster, the depth chart will begin to reveal itself.
