Report: Miami Dolphins among teams showing ‘strong interest’ in fascinating cornerback prospect

The Miami Dolphins have many positions to fill this offseason and could use the 2024 NFL Draft to replenish their secondary as they reportedly have been linked to cornerback prospect Elijah Jones.

The Boston College star turned heads at the recently completed NFL Scouting Combine. Despite that performance, he likely still projects to be a later-round pick in the upcoming draft, which will be held in late April. Prior to the combine, he was not among Mel Kiper Jr.’s top 10 players in the draft at cornerback.

Jones has a wealth of experience, having played 60 games over six college seasons. This past season, he had five interceptions and made 25 total tackles. He played in just nine of the Eagles’ 13 games, missing the end of the season for an undisclosed issue.

Miami could be facing significant competition for Jones’ services, with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers all reportedly having some interest in him.

The Dolphins could be in the market for a defensive back after deciding to release veteran cornerback Xavien Howard. They also recently decided to release reserve defensive back and special teams player Keion Crossen.

Facing salary cap concerns, the Dolphins need to make some successful draft picks to best fill out their roster. Miami has six picks in the upcoming draft but none in the third or fourth rounds.

It holds the No. 21 overall selection after not having a first-round pick in the past two drafts. The Dolphins reportedly have been linked to University of Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson at that slot.

They already have made one of the biggest decisions of their offseason by opting not to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. However, there reportedly is still a chance that a deal could be worked out to keep him in Miami.

The Dolphins defense will be led this coming season by new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who was hired to replace Vic Fangio. Last season, the Dolphins were 15th in fewest passing yards allowed and made 15 interceptions during an 11-6 campaign that resulted in a second straight AFC playoff berth.