With only two premier draft picks and the number of holes the Miami Dolphins had on their roster going into the draft, there was going to be at least one position left unaccounted for.
It turned out to be the one most pegged as the team’s top need, cornerback, since it was revealed earlier in April that the Dolphins were bound to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The Dolphins may have done that with the knowledge there were still several decent veteran names out there as free agent cornerbacks, while the market may be more slim at defensive tackle.
“We’ve had a number of conversations with players — veteran free agents that are good football players,” general manager Chris Grier said after the draft. “Those will continue, and we’ll see if we can get something done.”
Former Buffalo cornerback Rasul Douglas is available after starting 15 games for the Bills last year.
Douglas turns 30 before next season, and although he didn’t have an interception in 2024, he had four in just nine games for Buffalo in 2023 after being traded by the Green Bay Packers midseason. He also had nine between 2021 and 2022 for the Packers.
At 6 foot 2, Douglas would present the size that would be missing on the boundary for the Miami defense once it departs with Ramsey.
He also provides some potential intel from inside Buffalo’s locker room over the past couple of seasons, although that did not work out ideally with the acquisition of safety Jordan Poyer last year.
Not with the same size but a good cover cornerback who is also a local product: Asante Samuel Jr.
Samuel, a St. Thomas Aquinas High grad and Florida State alum, is still just 25 years old, but he’s coming off a 2024 season with the Los Angeles Chargers that landed him on injured reserve for the rest of the year just four games in due to a shoulder injury. He told reporters it’s a chronic issue with his shoulder that got worse through contact in practice. It’s something Miami must do its due diligence on if entertaining the idea of signing Samuel.
But the son of the ballhawking cornerback by the same name had two interceptions apiece in his first three NFL seasons after becoming a second-round pick of the Chargers in 2021.
James Bradberry is a veteran with a fine resume in eight seasons, but turning 32 this year, he also missed the entire 2024 season when he tore his Achilles in the preseason. Bradberry has a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro to his credit, and the 6-1 cornerback has 19 interceptions in his pro career.
The most accomplished free agent cornerback available is Stephon Gilmore. But the two-time All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowler and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year turns 35 in September.
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Nonetheless, he still started 15 games for a tough Minnesota Vikings defense last year under former Dolphins coach Brian Flores. It showed he still has something in the tank.
Another veteran with the Vikings last year, Shaquill Griffin, is also still unsigned.
Mike Hilton, of the Cincinnati Bengals, is another intriguing free agent, but he’s a standout as a nickel cornerback. The Dolphins already have that in Kader Kohou, but he may present the versatility to move to the outside, if needed.
Aside from returning Kohou as a restricted free agent, the Dolphins will need 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith to step up. They can anticipate another stride for Storm Duck, who made the team last season and saw playing time as an undrafted rookie.
The Dolphins signed veteran cornerback and Miami native Artie Burns in the offseason, but at this stage in his career, he should be considered more of a depth piece than someone counted on as a starter. By the time they finally selected a cornerback in the draft, it was fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr., also a South Florida local from Miami Palmetto High.
Miami going without a rookie cornerback draft pick until the fifth round this weekend wasn’t without the team entertaining the idea of selecting one earlier.
“We were very prepared for the multiple scenarios that could come up,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think when we talk about players that we’re adding to our football team, there’s a lot of needs. You’re trying to make sure that you improve with every player, that the opportunity that you have matches what that player can provide.”
The decision to use a third-round pick in trading up in the second for guard Jonah Savaiinaea hindered the team’s chances of grabbing one of nine cornerbacks who were selected in Round 3 Friday night.
The Dolphins passed on both Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron, draft prospects largely linked to the team, in the first round, and they had a second shot at Johnson at the spot where they traded up in the second.
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Originally Published: April 28, 2025 at 3:53 PM EDT