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The Dolphins badly need to augment cornerback (and a half dozen other positions) in this roster overhaul, and they\u2019ll have ample opportunity in April\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n
For weeks, two Southeastern Conference cornerbacks have been projected for Miami\u2019s range at 11: Tennessee\u2019s Jermod McCoy and LSU\u2019s Mansoor Delane.<\/p>\n
Delane, who has been a popular mock draft option for Miami, is visiting Dolphins headquarters on Tuesday to meet with coaches and executives.<\/p>\n
Delane (6-0) would be a justified choice at 11: he held receivers to a 27 passer rating in his coverage area, \u201cexcels in press coverage, altering release timing with punches and slides,\u201d NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein said. \u201cSmooth hips and efficient footwork keep him connected in man coverage, while his processing allows for quick transitions in off-man and short zone looks.<\/p>\n
\u201c He has good top-end speed … but is inconsistent turning to find the football. While he locks in on the route at times, he\u2019s rarely oblivious to the quarterback\u2019s actions, allowing him to slam catch windows shut and play the football. He played through a core muscle injury for much of the 2025 season and still performed at an elite level. Delane\u2019s emergence over the past two years might be indicative of what\u2019s to come, as he\u2019s shown lockdown potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, he allowed just 28% of passes in his coverage area to be caught (third best in FBS) and his 3.3 yards allowed per attempt ranked seventh. He then impressed teams by running a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.<\/p>\n
As for McCoy, he missed last season with a torn ACL but has six interceptions in two college seasons \u2014 two at Oregon State in 2023 and four at Tennessee in 2024. The ball skills are so impressive that he remains a top-half-to-middle-of-the-first-round projection despite missing last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cMcCoy missed the 2025 season due to injury, but his 2024 tape was outstanding,\u201d NFL Network\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah said. \u201cHe\u2019s squarely in the mix to be the top CB in the draft.\u201d<\/p>\n
NFL.com\u2019s Zierlein said the 6-0 McCoy \u201cis a toolsy outside corner with CB1 flashes, but an ACL tear robbed him of a much-needed third season. Hips and feet are smooth. He\u2019s athletic in his recoveries but average acceleration leaves him chasing too often on go routes.. We should expect McCoy\u2019s athletic traits and instincts to help him make up for lost time once he gets into camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
ESPN\u2019s Field Yates has Delane 10th and McCoy 12th in his recent mock draft.<\/p>\n
Potential Dolphins options at 30 or 43<\/p>\n
That group of cornerbacks includes (and keep in mind that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has signed only six-foot-plus cornerbacks during his first three months on the job):<\/p>\n
\u25aa South Carolina\u2019s 6-0 Brandon Cisse: He\u2019s an option at 30, with an outside shot of 43.<\/p>\n
ESPN\u2019s Mel Kiper Jr. notes Cisse \u201chad only one interception across the past two seasons, but he did have 12 pass breakups over that time, so the ball skills are there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zierlein said: \u201cA lack of instincts and break anticipation could cost him in coverage against quality route runners. Cisse\u2019s traits and competitiveness are clear selling points, but a lack of on-ball production and coverage consistency create a more volatile floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is most often now mocked early in the second round.<\/p>\n
Zierlein said: \u201cHood has average size but excellent play speed and toughness. Hood is consistently in position down the field \u2014 he can locate and play the ball \u2014 but will get grabby at times when the ball is in the air. Overall, Hood is a complete player and should be a very solid starter immediately at the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hood, who stands 6-0, played one year apiece at Auburn, Colorado and Tennessee.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Clemson\u2019s Avieon Terrell: At 5-11, he\u2019s a bit shorter than Miami\u2019s preference. But Terrell is a ball hawk and has eight forced fumbles the past two seasons. He can play on the boundary or in the slot, and most mocks have him going in the range of 30-35. One negative: A hamstring injury prevented him from finishing drills at Clemson\u2019s pro day.<\/p>\n
The Athletic\u2019s Dane Brugler said Terrell, who\u2019s the younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, \u201cdoesn\u2019t have elite size \u2014 and it shows at times versus bigger targets. But he does have NFL-level athleticism and competes like a linebacker.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa San Diego State\u2019s Chris Johnson: A potential option at 43 but likely not at 30, the 6-0 Johnson had five interceptions during the past two seasons and is projected as a mid-to-late second rounder.<\/p>\n
ESPN\u2019s Field Yates mocks him 39th, noting \u201cJohnson was an opportunistic playmaker at San Diego State and has excellent ball skills and reactive athletic movements. He blazed a 4.40 in the 40 at the Combine as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa UM\u2019s Keionte Scott: A ball-hawking, playmaking revelation for the Hurricanes last season, Scott rose from an afterthought at Auburn to a legitimate Day 2 prospect and helped himself even more by running in the low 4.3 range at UM\u2019s Pro Day. He\u2019s potentially an option at 43, but not at 30. And his 5-11 size might work against him with Miami.<\/p>\n
\u201cScott\u2019s play style and tackle production resemble that of a Will linebacker,\u201d Zierlein said. \u201cHe\u2019s edgy and urgent near the line with an ability to slip or play off of blocks. He can snuff out run plays before they get started. \u201c…Scott\u2019s blitz talent off the edge makes him a value-added rusher. He needs to play in a scheme that allows him to keep his eyes forward, but Scott\u2019s football character should make him a team favorite as a starting nickelback.\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible in second round or third round<\/p>\n
\u25aa Arizona\u2019s Treydan Stukes: A safety\/corner, the 6-1 Stukes would an option more in the third round that at 43. \u201cStukes is a hybrid player who can effectively impact the running game (28 tackles on designed rushes in 2025) and produce in coverage [four INTs],\u201d said Yates, who mocks him 60th. His age (26) works against him as a prospect.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Ohio State\u2019s Davison Igbinosun: He has size (6-2) and lots of big-game experience (53 career starts). Zierlein said he fits \u201cthe mold of a press corner with good size and long arms…. Improving his technique and getting him to trust it will be critical in reducing penalties. He is tough, strong and a willing run defender. Traits raise the ceiling to CB2 in a zone-heavy scheme, but his floor as an average backup might be a more likely outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Arkansas\u2019 Julian Neal: Zierlein said the 6-1 Neal is \u201ca late-blooming, fifth-year cornerback with the size, length and strength NFL teams desire for a press corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Indiana\u2019s D\u2019Angelo Ponds: A ball hawk, but his 5-9 frame will work against him with some teams.<\/p>\n
Zierlein said Ponds is \u201ca likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa UF\u2019s Devin Moore: Could the Dolphins select a Florida corner for the second consecutive season, after snagging Jason Marshall Jr. in the fifth round last season?<\/p>\n
\u201cMoore is a verified 6-3, with 32-inch arms and the talent to cover receivers up and down the field,\u201d Brugler said.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Oregon\u2019s Jadon Canady: Canady (5-10) \u201ccarries a slender frame with short arms but is brimming with confidence as a sticky slot option,\u201d Zierlein said. \u201cCanady is worth a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick as a future starting slot corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Duke\u2019s Chandler Rivers: Rivers (5-9), who started 45 games at Duke, \u201ccompeted hard when lined up outside but figures to scoot inside in the NFL due to his lack of size and length,\u201d Zierlein said. \u201cHe should appeal to teams looking for a nickelback on Day 3.\u201d But his size could work against him with this Dolphins regime.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Other second-day and early third-day options include Arizona State\u2019s Keith Abney II; Toledo\u2019s Avery Smith Stephen F. Austin\u2019s Charles Demmings (who is visiting Dolphins headquarters this week); Georgia\u2019s Daylen Everette, Georgia; North Carolina\u2019s Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina; Oregon State\u2019s Skyler Thomas; and Cal\u2019s Hezekiah Masses.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 10:09 AM.<\/p>\n