Anthony Weaver says Storm Duck has ‘played himself’ into backup corner role

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver had some major praise for rookie cornerback Storm Duck and his play in the 2024 season.

Duck, an undrafted free agent who played collegiately at University of North Carolina and the University of Louisville, has appeared in 12 games for the Dolphins this season (he’s made two starts).

It appears that Duck will get a chance to play a bigger role in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns with Kendall Fuller dealing with an injury.

So far this season, Duck has 25 tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes defended. He’s still searching for his first interception at the NFL level.

Duck hasn’t had a major role on defense in every game, but it seems like he’s caught Weaver’s attention when he’s been on the field.

Last week, Duck played 13 snaps on defense (20 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps for the game) and picked up three tackles. Back in Week 12, Duck played in 93 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps, recording four tackles in that matchup.

However, in Week 13 and Week 14, the rookie did not see a single snap on defense. He did still appear on special teams, playing 37 combined snaps over those two games.

The Dolphins could be without a few more key players on defense as well in Week 17, as Anthony Walker and Jordyn Brooks are both banged up.

Miami is currently 7-8 on the season and needs to win in Week 17 to keep its playoff hopes alive with just two weeks left in the regular season. Plus, the Dolphins have not finished a single season under .500 since Mike McDaniel took over as the franchise’s head coach. If the Dolphins win out, they’ll keep that streak going in the 2024 campaign.

Duck is certainly a cool story for the Dolphins, as he’s carved out a role for himself despite not hearing his name called on draft night.

If the rookie shines in his time on the field in Week 17, it’s possible that he could be in the mix for a bigger role in Week 18 and going forward as a member of the Dolphins’ secondary.