Miami’s Future At Cornerback Is In Good Hands
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins are pretty set at cornerback for the next two seasons. Jalen Ramsey is still one of the league’s premier cornerbacks, Kendall Fuller has proven himself as a reliable second option throughout his career, and then there’s Kader Kohou. That being said, Ramsey and Fuller are both getting up there in terms of age, so the Dolphins need to have a succession plan in place, especially since both players are scheduled to hit free agency in 2025.
A recent tweet from Miami Herald columnist Omar Kelly suggested that a young and upcoming cornerback is asserting himself at training camp. During a Q&A session, a Dolphins fan asked if Ethan Bonner was making a play to grab the CB4 spot. Interestingly, Kelly’s response was “Bonner is a starter right now.” This came as a shock to many, considering that the Dolphins’ first unofficial depth chart lists Ramsey, Fuller, and Kohou as starters when in the nickel formation.
Omar would later clarify his point, noting that Kohou is still the starter at slot corner. This still left fans confused, because it’s highly unlikely Bonner would start over Fuller as the second outside corner. To be honest, unclear reports like this are part of the reason why Omar Kelly doesn’t have the greatest reputation amongst the fanbase. Nevertheless, it’s becoming increasingly clear whether it’s at CB3 or CB4, that Bonner is establishing himself as a future core piece of the Dolphins’ defense.
Last season, Tyreek Hill, who is the fastest player on the team, gave his opinion on who he thought the second-fastest player on the Dolphins is. No, it wasn’t De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle, or Raheem Mostert. It was none other than Bonner. “De’Von fast though,” said Hill. “I will say he’s like the third-fastest on this team though. We got another kid on the practice squad that’s pretty fast. Ethan Bonner, white kid, fast.” Hill continued: “He ran 22 in camp, had me like ‘Okay this dude ahhh, okay.’ May not call him out in a race.”
Bonner’s speed has been evident throughout training camp. On a Hail Mary play, Tua Tagovailoa underthrew a pass intended for Tyreek Hill, and Bonner came up with the interception. That wasn’t the only time Bonner made a play against Tyreek, either. On this play from August 5, Tua targets Hill, but Bonner swoops in and breaks up the pass. The fact that a former undrafted free agent is consistently able to keep up with the No. 1 player on the NFL’s Top 100 is truly remarkable.
Tua finds Tyreek over the middle but Ethan Bonner finds a way to break the pass up before Hill can complete the catch. Bonner continues to have a really strong camp‼️ pic.twitter.com/o0ZDzrf9zq
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) August 5, 2024
Outside of the three established starters, the Dolphins have a lot of unproven players at the cornerback position. The most notable among them is Cam Smith, who Miami drafted in the second round of the 2023 Draft. Smith hardly played last year under Vic Fangio and dealt with his fair share of injuries. Following Fangio’s departure, Smith threw shade at his former coach, tweeting an unlocked emoji to insinuate that Fangio was responsible for his rookie struggles. Smith will seek to make an impact in Year 2 in a new defensive scheme that plays a lot more man coverage.
As of late, Smith has been struggling to stay healthy, suffering an undisclosed injury during a practice on July 28. He spent the next few days rehabbing and doing individual drills, and eventually returned to practice on August 5. Two days later, Smith was sidelined again with another injury and has not practiced since.
In the meantime, Bonner has been getting more reps with the first-team defense and so far he’s been taking advantage of the increased opportunities thus far. It’d now be surprising if Smith overtakes Bonner on the depth chart.
Although Bonner is primarily an outside corner, he showed off his positional versatility in college. During his time at Stanford, he played on the perimeter, in the slot, and inside the box. If the Dolphins suffer any injuries at cornerback during the season, Bonner’s skill set makes it more likely that he’ll be ready to step in as a starter. No disrespect to Smith, but you can’t make the club in the tub.
So while the Dolphins are still hoping that Smith eventually shows why the team drafted him in the second round in 2023, Miami may have found a future core player at cornerback in Bonner. The undrafted free agent has exceeded expectations at every turn, and he’s putting himself in a position to seize the next opportunity.
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