It seems that the cornerback position will soon be a notable position of need for the Miami Dolphins, that is, if it isn’t already.
The Dolphins and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey are allegedly exploring trade options for the 30-year-old after Miami endured a disappointing 2024 season and missed the playoffs. Ramsey has spent each of the last two seasons with the Dolphins after he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams earlier in his career.
Miami could plug the hole left by Ramsey’s possible departure by using one of its whopping 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on a talented young cornerback, and Dolphins insider Omar Kelly has the team doing just that. He has the Dolphins picking former University of Michigan standout Will Johnson with their first-round pick, which is at the No. 13 spot.
“Michigan CB Will Johnson: Jalen Ramsey’s impending trade means the Dolphins need to find two rookie cornerbacks capable of becoming starters,” Kelly wrote. “Johnson has excellent size and zone skills. If it wasn’t for his questionable turf toe injury, and the absence of a 40-time he would have been taken higher.”
Johnson was a linchpin to a Wolverines defensive unit that was one of the best in the nation last season, as it allowed just 19.9 points per contest in the 2024 campaign. He led his entire conference in interceptions returned for touchdowns with two in just six games played and also totaled 12 solo tackles, two assisted tackles, 14 combined tackles and one tackle for loss in his third and final season playing football at the collegiate level.
ESPN also has Johnson ranked as one of the top players of his draft class at his position. Specifically, he’s ranked as the third-best player at the cornerback spot behind only former University of Colorado Boulder star Travis Hunter and former University of Texas at Austin defensive menace Jahdae Barron.
While Johnson projects to be someone who could be a really impactful defensive player at the NFL level, folks should not expect him to contribute at the level Ramsey did during his Dolphins tenure right away. Ramsey is one of the better cornerbacks of his generation after all, as he has seven Pro Bowl selections under his belt at 30 years old.
If Ramsey will indeed no longer be a member of the Dolphins in the near future, maybe the team’s best course of action would be to adhere to Kelly’s prediction and draft Johnson in the first round.
