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Two of the Miami Dolphins' biggest offseason moves have involved adding a cornerback. After trading for Jalen Ramsey, they drafted South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith with the 51st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
On the surface, using the best draft pick you have a on a position where you already have two very good starters doesn't make sense. Despite having Ramsey and Xavien Howard, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel think Smith will do well with the Dolphins, according to Marcel Louis-Jacque of ESPN.
“The cool thing about the defensive backfield in general, I think Vic has hit this on the head a number of times, but five DBs on the field, it happens almost three-quarters of the time in the National Football League now,” McDaniel said, via ESPN. “In Vic’s defense, in his system, if you understand it, there are a lot of different ways you can get on the field. There is some position versatility that if you go back to his history, there have been various people that have played in different spots.”
The usage of defensive packages with three or more cornerbacks on the field is on the rise, so having just two dependable options won't cut it anymore. Aside from the fit in Fangio's defense, Smith should workout for the Dolphins because they will need help at the cornerback spot to to contain the many star quarterbacks in their conference. With Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers in their own division, pass defense is going to be key.
“In this league, and especially in the AFC, with a lot of talented quarterbacks and teams, we can never have enough corners — as we experienced last year with the rash of injuries that we dealt with,” Grier said, via ESPN. “So excited to add [Smith], he’s excited to come, so we’re looking forward to working with him.”
This upcoming season, the Dolphins will see Allen and Rodgers twice and play against Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. While the wide receiver personnel is only truly impressive for a few of those teams, covering the field against those quarterbacks will be key.
As Grier also mentions, injuries can deplete depth in an instant. Having a strong backup option at a key position like cornerback is always helpful, especially when a youngster with tons of potential gets to learn from great veterans.
