Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is absent from mandatory minicamp as he and the franchise continue to work toward a trade. With the All-Pro veteran out of the picture, the Dolphins need their young defensive backfield to step up and produce a new primary pass defender. According to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who squares off against that group each day on the practice field, the corners have risen to the occasion this offseason.
Kader Kohou is the only returning starter of the bunch with his nine starts with the Dolphins last season. The team also brought in Kendall Sheffield and Artie Burns this offseason, but they are both well removed from their most recent stints as full-time starters. Despite the inexperience, the corners left an impression on Waddle in minicamp.
“They look extremely good,” Waddle said, via ESPN. “I’m not going to lie to y’all, they are making it really tough on the receivers. They’re playing true to their technique. I think they’re doing a good job of taking what they do in individual [drills] to when we go into team [drills]. We’re going to need them to step up and be key for us. I’m happy that they are doing extremely good.”
Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel gives blunt response to Jalen Ramsey trade status, mandatory minicamp absence
Carter Bahns
Cam Smith and Ethan Bonner enter their third year with the Dolphins this season, but neither brings starting experience to the mix. Isaiah Johnson joined the active roster after spending his rookie year on the practice squad. Fifth-rounder Jason Marshall Jr. rounds out the unit as a young newcomer. At least one of that bunch will likely have to step into a larger role in 2025 as the Dolphins backfill their depth chart.
“It’s just a bunch of young guys who are hungry,” Johnson said to ESPN. “We had some vets last year, we had some big names, and now just like the league is, there’s some turnover and you got some guys who are just ready to come and work every day. I think there’s no reason to question it because nothing’s been shown and there’s nothing to hate on right now. So everybody’s here ready to work, ready to show and earn their stripes and ready to earn the fans’ support.”
Miami boasted a top-10 pass defense with Ramsey anchoring the secondary. That status is in peril as the team enters a new era at cornerback.
Ramsey played each of the last two seasons with the Dolphins and participated in 17 games last year after he missed time in his first campaign with a torn meniscus. He is under contract with Miami through 2028, but the mutual decision to seek a trade came just one season after the parties agreed to a three-year extension. The $72.3 million deal Ramsey signed last September made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
While Ramsey was a key cog in the defensive backfield, his production slipped in his age-30 season. He missed the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie year in 2016 and posted his fewest interceptions (two) since 2020. The former Florida State product, however, made up for the downturn in takeaways with upticks in tackles (60) and tackles for loss (six).
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Author: Carter Bahns
June 14, 2025 | 3:30 pm
