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Over the course of the last week, the Miami Dolphins have added several defensive backs to their roster in free agency. First-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and rookie head coach Jeff Hafley appear to have a certain common denominator in this area of the field. Cornerbacks Alex Austin and Darrell Baker Jr. are both 6-foot-1, while safeties Lonnie Johnson and Zayne Anderson are each 6-foot-2.
While each of these new additions, along with 5-foot-11 Marco Wilson, helps in filling out the defensive back room heading into April’s NFL draft, Sullivan and Hafley could use a similar screening process in targeting a cornerback and safety. Each position should still be addressed, and with Hafley being a specialist in the coaching of the defensive backs, it could indicate what players could be targeted by the Dolphins during the annual selection meeting about six weeks away.
With needs all over the field, and this being a relatively deep draft class at cornerback, Miami could elect to address the offensive line and defensive front areas of the field prior to dealing with the secondary. Should they pass on the top two cornerbacks, if available at No. 11, in LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Miami could look to round three, where they have a trio of selections to bring in a defensive back.
This would also mean that prospects at cornerback like Avieon Terrell, Colton Hood, Chris Johnson, and Brandon Cisse could be long gone, but a few lengthy prospects could be available for Sullivan and Hafley to consider at picks 75, 87, 90, and even round four at pick 111.
Davison Igbinosun of Ohio State is 6-foot-2 and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is solid in press coverage and has great arm length, who improved his technique in 2025. He finished his four-year OSU career with four interceptions and 27 passes defensed in his 56 games played.
At the moment, he has a mock draft position in the late 70’s and has been selected as high as 60th, making him a late second-round pick in some mocks.
Florida’s Devin Moore is a 6’3’ boundary cornerback, which the Dolphins can surely use. He is scheme-versatile, handling himself well in both zone and man coverage, and also a physical run defender with sound tackling ability. The caveat here is some injury concern, as well as average speed, but his size could make up for it.
Moore is a player who could benefit from a coach like Hafley, and drafting him as a potential third, fourth or fifth selection in the process could be intriguing for Sullivan. Moore’s sweet spot in terms of mock draft position has been in the 85-104 range.
Arkansas’s Julian Neal is another long, press-coverage type of boundary cornerback and is 6-foot-2. Hafley also covets strong rush support, and Neal is excellent against the run. His physicality and size make him an ideal prospect as a potential third-round pick. He has 4.49 speed, which is not elite, but his 40-inch vertical was sixth among cornerbacks at the combine.
He spent four years at Fresno State, and his lone year at Arkansas was his best collegiate season in 2025 with 55 total tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and two tackles for loss. He is also versatile in his ability to play the slot, which is another positive. He is another option in the 80-100 range, should Miami elect to focus on other positions with their first three or four selections.
Perhaps the most enticing mix of size, speed, and athleticism as a late Day 2 or early Day-3 pick is Washington’s Tacario Davis. Standing at 6-foot-4 with 4.41 speed, Davis ranked eighth at the cornerback position at the scouting combine in Athleticism Score at 78 and had a Relative Athletic Score of 9.76. He spent three seasons at Arizona and his senior year at Washington, with a career that totaled 25 passes defensed in 37 games played.
He would have to improve his propensity for penalties, but his length and height make it very hard for receivers to best him at the highest point of the ball. He is another strong run defender and a solid tackler. He has been mocked in round four territory, and Miami’s pick No. 111 could be an ideal spot for him, which would make him a very quality sixth selection in Sullivan’s draft, should all picks remain the same and no trades occur.
Shifting areas, specifically to a free safety prospect, Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley is 6-foot-3 and has elite 4.40 speed for the position. Another outstanding run defender to go along with his coverage ability, he could be the best option for Miami should they pass on a guy like Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who is 6-foot-4.
Wheatley can play deep, inside the box, stop the run and has the speed to not let receivers get behind him. He has improved his tackling ability and can work as a Swiss-Army knife type of player in a Hafley defense that utilizes plenty of safeties. Wheatley has spiked in the last few weeks from the late-90’s range in draft position to around 75, which would be a fine area for Miami to call his name, with pick No. 87 being ultimate value.
Another safety with good size is 6-foot-2 Genesis Smith of Arizona. He is excellent in deep coverage and has quality ball skills. In his three seasons at Arizona, he picked off five passes and tallied 14 passes defensed while forcing four fumbles and recovering three.
His height and leaping ability are a potent combo. He registered a 42.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL scouting combine, which was eighth overall and the best among the safety class, while his Athleticism Score was fourth at the position at 80.
He does need to work on his overall tackling skills, but his size, instincts, and ability to read routes could make him an excellent Day-2 selection at free safety. His mock draft positioning has been steady in the 70-80 range and could be a very interesting prospect for Hafley to work with.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 free agency tracker: Latest news, rumors and signings
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Sleeper DBs Dolphins could target on Day 2 or Day 3
Continue reading...
While each of these new additions, along with 5-foot-11 Marco Wilson, helps in filling out the defensive back room heading into April’s NFL draft, Sullivan and Hafley could use a similar screening process in targeting a cornerback and safety. Each position should still be addressed, and with Hafley being a specialist in the coaching of the defensive backs, it could indicate what players could be targeted by the Dolphins during the annual selection meeting about six weeks away.
With needs all over the field, and this being a relatively deep draft class at cornerback, Miami could elect to address the offensive line and defensive front areas of the field prior to dealing with the secondary. Should they pass on the top two cornerbacks, if available at No. 11, in LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Miami could look to round three, where they have a trio of selections to bring in a defensive back.
This would also mean that prospects at cornerback like Avieon Terrell, Colton Hood, Chris Johnson, and Brandon Cisse could be long gone, but a few lengthy prospects could be available for Sullivan and Hafley to consider at picks 75, 87, 90, and even round four at pick 111.
Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun
Davison Igbinosun of Ohio State is 6-foot-2 and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He is solid in press coverage and has great arm length, who improved his technique in 2025. He finished his four-year OSU career with four interceptions and 27 passes defensed in his 56 games played.
At the moment, he has a mock draft position in the late 70’s and has been selected as high as 60th, making him a late second-round pick in some mocks.
Florida CB Devin Moore
Florida’s Devin Moore is a 6’3’ boundary cornerback, which the Dolphins can surely use. He is scheme-versatile, handling himself well in both zone and man coverage, and also a physical run defender with sound tackling ability. The caveat here is some injury concern, as well as average speed, but his size could make up for it.
Moore is a player who could benefit from a coach like Hafley, and drafting him as a potential third, fourth or fifth selection in the process could be intriguing for Sullivan. Moore’s sweet spot in terms of mock draft position has been in the 85-104 range.
Arkansas CB Julian Neal
Arkansas’s Julian Neal is another long, press-coverage type of boundary cornerback and is 6-foot-2. Hafley also covets strong rush support, and Neal is excellent against the run. His physicality and size make him an ideal prospect as a potential third-round pick. He has 4.49 speed, which is not elite, but his 40-inch vertical was sixth among cornerbacks at the combine.
He spent four years at Fresno State, and his lone year at Arkansas was his best collegiate season in 2025 with 55 total tackles, two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and two tackles for loss. He is also versatile in his ability to play the slot, which is another positive. He is another option in the 80-100 range, should Miami elect to focus on other positions with their first three or four selections.
Washington CB Tacario Davis
Perhaps the most enticing mix of size, speed, and athleticism as a late Day 2 or early Day-3 pick is Washington’s Tacario Davis. Standing at 6-foot-4 with 4.41 speed, Davis ranked eighth at the cornerback position at the scouting combine in Athleticism Score at 78 and had a Relative Athletic Score of 9.76. He spent three seasons at Arizona and his senior year at Washington, with a career that totaled 25 passes defensed in 37 games played.
He would have to improve his propensity for penalties, but his length and height make it very hard for receivers to best him at the highest point of the ball. He is another strong run defender and a solid tackler. He has been mocked in round four territory, and Miami’s pick No. 111 could be an ideal spot for him, which would make him a very quality sixth selection in Sullivan’s draft, should all picks remain the same and no trades occur.
Penn State S Zakee Wheatley
Shifting areas, specifically to a free safety prospect, Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley is 6-foot-3 and has elite 4.40 speed for the position. Another outstanding run defender to go along with his coverage ability, he could be the best option for Miami should they pass on a guy like Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who is 6-foot-4.
Wheatley can play deep, inside the box, stop the run and has the speed to not let receivers get behind him. He has improved his tackling ability and can work as a Swiss-Army knife type of player in a Hafley defense that utilizes plenty of safeties. Wheatley has spiked in the last few weeks from the late-90’s range in draft position to around 75, which would be a fine area for Miami to call his name, with pick No. 87 being ultimate value.
Arizona S Genesis Smith
Another safety with good size is 6-foot-2 Genesis Smith of Arizona. He is excellent in deep coverage and has quality ball skills. In his three seasons at Arizona, he picked off five passes and tallied 14 passes defensed while forcing four fumbles and recovering three.
His height and leaping ability are a potent combo. He registered a 42.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL scouting combine, which was eighth overall and the best among the safety class, while his Athleticism Score was fourth at the position at 80.
He does need to work on his overall tackling skills, but his size, instincts, and ability to read routes could make him an excellent Day-2 selection at free safety. His mock draft positioning has been steady in the 70-80 range and could be a very interesting prospect for Hafley to work with.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 free agency tracker: Latest news, rumors and signings
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Sleeper DBs Dolphins could target on Day 2 or Day 3
Continue reading...
