The Miami Dolphins have several pressing needs in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Following their first selection (No. 11 overall), they hold four more picks in the top 90. In the second round, they are currently slated to pick at No. 43, and there could be several defensive backs available for the taking at that spot.
One prospect moving up the boards who had a stellar 2025 at San Diego State is cornerback Chris Johnson. Johnson is a lockdown corner with smoothness and fluidity. He was impressive during his workouts at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with a 40-yard dash time of 4.40 seconds and a 38-inch vertical. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.67, which ranks him 93rd out of the 2,779 cornerbacks evaluated in RAS since 1987.
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His drills at the combine were the sweetener to an outstanding senior season in college, where he picked off four passes, with two being taken back for touchdowns. He added nine passes defensed and even tallied three tackles for loss as well as a sack. Even more impressive, he held opposing quarterbacks to an incredibly low 16.1 passer rating when targeted, which goes along with his pass coverage grade of 92.4. He has good size at 6-foot-0 and can help in run support.
Johnson’s performance at the combine put to rest any concerns about speed, and he may have even elevated himself into the first round. He excels in zone coverage, but his football intelligence and coachability should help in his development in man and press, where he has a solid foundation.
The Dolphins are in desperate need to add to their cornerback room, especially on the boundary. Veterans Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones, who were signed last season, are free agents, and 2025 fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr. was worked in at the slot role his rookie season.
Speaking of the slot, veteran Kader Kohou missed all of last season with an ACL injury, and he is also a free agent. The overall depth is concerning as well, with not much experience in the position group at all.
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Miami’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley, is a defensive backs specialist in his teaching, and Johnson could make for an excellent pupil. The 2025 Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year was also an AP Second-Team All-American, and should he be available at pick No. 43, new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan should run the ticket up to the podium. Although after his performance this week, he could have made himself a top-35 pick.
The Dolphins could focus their first-round attention on the trenches if an offensive lineman or edge rusher could fall to them at No. 11, which would make the secondary a major point of attention on Day 2 of the draft.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL combine: CB Chris Johnson should be on Dolphins radar now