Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou believes that the team will be selling itself short if it isn’t among the best defenses in the NFL in the 2023 season.
“We have a lot of talent. I feel like we’ll be selling ourselves short if we aren’t one of the best defenses in the NFL. We just have to get a lot of turnovers.”
After practice, I caught up with #Dolphins CB Kader Kohou — nicknamed Darth Kader. A look at our @nflnetwork chat: pic.twitter.com/KIJKQ36WR8
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) July 31, 2023
The Dolphins suffered a major blow on defense this offseason with cornerback Jalen Ramsey – the team’s biggest offseason acquisition – suffering a knee injury that will keep him out until December.
Ramsey was expected to provide a major lift playing alongside Xavien Howard in the team’s secondary. Miami finished 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed last season, but Ramsey was expected to help turn that around.
During the 2022 season, Ramsey appeared in all 17 games for the Los Angeles Rams, picking off four passes in the process. He finished with a career-high 88 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Kohou is likely going to be one of the players tasked with stepping up to fill Ramsey’s void on defense.
“Coming from last year, I feel like we was kinda in the same position but next man up,” Kohou said of Ramsey’s injury. “Whoever want to make some money man, just step up to the plate. Just do your job.”
Last season, the Dolphins lost cornerback Byron Jones for the season due to injury. That made it tough on the team’s secondary from the beginning of the campaign.
The Dolphins should have a stronger overall defense in 2023 because they’ll have a full season with Bradley Chubb on the roster after he was acquired at the trade deadline last season. The team also hopes to have starting safety Brandon Jones back in the lineup after he tore his ACL in the 2022 campaign.
In the 2022 season, Kohou appeared in 15 games for the Dolphins and made 13 starts. He made a huge impact for the team, tallying 72 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception.
An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Kohou showed that he can step up when his number is called for Miami.
The Dolphins will need him and others to do the same in the 2023 season if they want to reach Kohou’s lofty goal of being one of the best defensive units in the NFL.
