Xavien Howard warns people about ‘straight dawg’ Kader Kohou

Miami Dolphins defensive back Kader Kohou surprised just about everyone last season when he was arguably one of the team’s best players.

It seems like he might be poised for another step forward, as Dolphins veteran Xavien Howard didn’t hesitate when asked if there’s one player people should look out for this offseason.

In his rookie season, Kohou recorded 72 combined tackles, 10 passes defended, one forced fumble, one interception and five tackles for loss. He was arguably the team’s best cornerback, registering a grade of 69.8 from PFF.

Due to playing such a key role for the Dolphins in the 2022 season, Kohou was able to secure a performance-based bonus of a little more than $700,000.

Defensive backs like Byron Jones and Trill Williams missed the entire season with injuries, so Kohou was thrust into a pretty big real in his first NFL season.

His goals for his second season are fairly simple.

“Just improve from last year, my rookie year,” he said. “It’s my second year, so you’ve just got to keep improving.”

Earlier this offseason, Dolphins cornerback coach/pass game specialist Sam Madison spoke about the shape the 24-year-old reported to offseason workouts in.

“He came back, his body looks good, he’s taking care of some things off the field and we’re just going to be able to see exactly how it all plays out,” Madison said.

With how much hype there is surrounding the Texas A&M University-Commerce product, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take another leap forward this season. He figures to play a big role for Miami despite the acquisitions of six-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey and second-round draft pick Cam Smith.

Miami’s secondary has a chance to be really special this season after struggling a bit in the 2022 campaign. Last season, the Dolphins allowed their opponents to gain 3,992 yards through the air. Only five teams in the league allowed more.

Expectations are high once again for Miami’s second season under Mike McDaniel. Upgrades have been made, but only time will tell if the squad has enough to win its first playoff game in over two decades.