On a Day Of Scoring, Kader Kohou Was A Bright Spot For the Dolphins Defense
Sep 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is sacked at the one yard line by Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (4) in the third quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins are first in offense and 31st in defense in DVOA after one week of football, so it might not be easy to find bright spots on the defensive side of the game. But if there is one, he comes from Africa. Cornerback Kader Kohou, born in Ivory Coast, played a solid game to start his second NFL season and is establishing himself as an extremely useful piece for the Vic Fangio unit, especially while Jalen Ramsey is out with an injury.
Kohou had a long road until stepping on an NFL field in the first place. Born in Africa, he moved to the United States at age nine with his parents after the family won a lottery to get the visa. Kohou started playing sports to make friends, and became an undersized but special talent at football.
On Sunday, he was decisive in securing a 36-34 win for the Miami Dolphins over the Los Angeles Chargers. He was the fifth-highest graded player (72.6) on the entire team according to PFF, the second on defense just behind Jevon Holland, and had a crucial sack on a corner blitz against Justin Herbert.
Kader Kohou’s blitz to sack might be the most pivotal play of the game so far pic.twitter.com/dhYgVRWQLM
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) September 10, 2023
“I see determination and hunger to build on what he’s really done,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said during the offseason. “Kader is a prime example of seeking opportunity and every player is very aware of that. Last year we were sitting here talking about Byron Jones and my answer to you guys was not, ‘Oh yeah, Kader Kohou’. Keep in mind every single rep, every single day, which is what our whole team’s focus is, those things, the results of those, the development, the consistency, and the growth, that determines who’s playing and who is excelling just like Kader showed.”
Going into his second NFL season, the situation is very different for Kohou. He’s not a fringe roster player anymore, and now he can make adjustments to be really impactful.
“Just improve from last year, my rookie year,” Kohou said of his goals for this year. “It’s my second year, so you’ve just got to keep improving.”
Kader Kohou made the 53-man roster as a rookie mainly as a slot corner, and that’s still his primary position when the Dolphins play nickel. But his performance in training camp was so positive that he’s the starter on the boundary over veteran Eli Apple when the defense is in base, opposite Xavien Howard. On Sunday, he was the best cornerback among the three, finishing the game with six tackles and a sack.
The defense played poorly for most of the game, especially upfront, but a couple of plays late were decisive to start the season with a positive record.
Ideally, he still has to be better in pure pass coverage situations — he allowed a 100.0 passer rating, but it was a significant challenge against a powerful passing offense with Justin Herbert, plus wide receiver Keenan Allen and Mike Williams,the highest-paid wide receiver duo in the league. It doesn’t tend to be this hard every week.
Last year, Kohou had 10 passes defended, second on the team behind Howard and 32nd in the entire NFL, plus one interception and a forced fumble. According to PFF, he was the 36th-best cornerback among 118 qualifying players.
When Ramsey suffered his knee injury, it stressed how important depth is. The defensive backfield is a weak-link system anyway, so it’s imperative for the Dolphins to find more answers. While the star corner acquired via trade in the offseason is off the field, the situation creates an opportunity for other players to step up. Playing at an elevated level, Kohou has a chance at establishing himself as a solid depth piece and a full-time starter as a slot corner. In a cloudy AFC picture, a real contender must make sure every position is not a liability. And, in today’s NFL, the star position is already a full-time job considering how frequently offenses use three-wide receiver sets. It’s not a part-time job or less important role as it used to be.
As a willing tackler, developing blitzer, and hard worker, Kohou has the ideal skill set and personality to complement a room full of recognizable names.
When his parents decided to move from Africa to the United States, the idea was to give Kohou better opportunities in life. They didn’t imagine it would come through football. But the young man maximized it, and his trajectory in Euless, Texas, and later in a six-year college career at Texas A&M–Commerce built the structure Kohou needed to be ready for a bigger stage.
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