Jason Marshall Jr. had never played nickel cornerback.
That is, until the Miami Dolphins decided to try it out.
“Honestly, it has been a smooth transition,” Marshall said. “There were some things that happened with the depth of the team so I’m just doing anything I can to help the team.”
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Now, the fifth-round pick might be relied upon to do so the entire season. If it works, the Dolphins will like geniuses. If it doesn’t, the Dolphins’ lack of aggressiveness to secure a top talent in the cornerback room will be criticized.
“I have a lot of confidence in him to do it,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said of Marshall’s ability to play nickel for an entire season. “It’s a challenge for him, but he has not blinked one bit. We know there will be growing pains with it and we’ll live with it, but for him we have all the confidence in the world that he’ll be successful and looking forward to how he plays this year.”
As Marshall mentioned, his move to nickel came as a result of injuries and need. The late-June trade of seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers created an immediate need on the outside.
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (33) walks off the field after the Dolphins defeat Jacksonville Jaguars during an NFL football game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Kader Kohou, who showed flashes of great play in the nickel in 2024, was thought to be an immediate replacement at one outside cornerback spot — until he partially tore his ACL just days into training camp. Artie Burns, who also played a bit of nickel, suffered a similar fate to Kohou. At that point, the Dolphins had an immediate need at cornerback.
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Enter Marshall.
“You know you look at him sometimes you think, ‘Oh man, this guy could be a linebacker, but he has the movement skills of a DB,’” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “I think Jason’s skill set gives you an opportunity to not only play him outside but inside as well. Then his physicality, again, that we weren’t really sure about until we put him in a game and we saw him make that TFL on the nickel pressure. I was like, ‘OK, it’s in there.’ Now let’s see, we’ll see if he continues to grow there.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact date that Marshall started to get run at the nickel, but the trial began during the Dolphins’ 11-day road trip to Chicago and Detroit. At the time, he had three sound veterans in his ear —z veteran nickel Mike Hilton as well as safeties Ifeatu Melifonwu and Minkah Fitzpatrick, both of whom have gotten snaps at the position. An integral part of the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense for the past four seasons, Hilton initially appeared firmly entrenched at the top of the depth chart.
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (33) prepares for drills during OTA’s “Organized Team Activities,” at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
Then Marshall seemingly played well against the Detroit Lions, a performance that earned him glowing reviews from Fitzpatrick.
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“Honestly, what stood out the most was that it was his first time doing it, and he played it at such a high level,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think nickel is probably one of the hardest spots to play on the field. You’re asked to do a lot. You have to see a lot. You have to make a lot of communication. You’ve got to tackle, you’ve got to cover. You could be in half one play, you could be blitzing the next play. There are not many positions on the field that does that. For a young guy who never played it before to go in, I think he got two tackles for loss. He played great in coverage, made all the right communications. It was really cool to see him step up in that role.”
The biggest endorsement in Marshall’s talents came when he got some first-team reps during the Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hilton was subsequently cut a few days later.
Florida Gators cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (3) celebrates after a stop during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023.
“I know he’s done a phenomenal job and really, really been pumped up about how he’s attacked a position that doesn’t appear not normal for him, doesn’t appear new to him,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I feel very comfortable with the guys and whether we do a move or don’t do a move outside of those guys, it’s because we’re doing the very best thing for the team and we have faith in people that are capable.”
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The rookie, however, isn’t too concerned about where he sits on the depth chart. All that he wants to do is see the field. And nickel, as it stands now, is the easiest way to do so.
“I’m with it,” Marshall said. “Being versatile — looking around the league, that’s how guys make it as far as being versatile, being able to play multiple positions.”