The Miami Dolphins secondary gets a much-needed boost in the latest 2025 NFL mock draft from The Athletic and their beat writers.
Every day, a new mock draft drops, and every day, the Miami Dolphins are projected to select a different prospect at pick #13.
For example, yesterday, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah projected that the Dolphins would select Alabama guard Tyler Booker. In his previous mock draft, Jeremiah had Miami selecting Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Last week, Tyler Warren — the playmaking tight end from Penn State — was projected to be the pick for Miami at 13 by NFL Draft analyst Kyle Crabbs.
And the list goes on and on…
However, in The Athletic’s latest ‘beat writer’ mock draft, the Dolphins select a premier player at a position that fans have wrinkled their nose at in the past. But with the recent release of cornerback Kendall Fuller and 31-year-old Jalen Ramsey as the No.1 cornerback on the roster, I can see why ‘experts’ and fans should start buying into the idea of a cornerback at 13… especially if an #elite prospect like this falls directly into their laps.
But before we discuss Miami’s pick, let’s look at the first 12 picks in The Athletic’s latest mock draft.
- Tennessee Titans: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
- Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- New York Giants: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
- Las Vegas Raiders: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado * Pick Traded from New England
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
- New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU * Pick Traded from Las Vegas
- New York Jets: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
- Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
- New Orleans Saints: Armand Membou, OL, Missouri
- Chicago Bears: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
- San Francisco 49ers: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
- Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
With the 13th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, The Miami Dolphins select:
13. Miami Dolphins: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
If this happens on draft night, Dolphins fans might start shouting angrily at their TVs, upset their team passed on an offensive lineman. I get it. I strongly considered taking Alabama guard Tyler Booker here, but I couldn’t pass on the elite upside of Johnson — especially at a major position of need for Miami. Jalen Ramsey will be 31 next season, and his future could be at safety anyway. The Dolphins just cut Kendall Fuller, while Kader Kohou is set to hit free agency. Johnson is a big, physical cornerback with great ball skills who could step right in and play opposite Ramsey before transitioning into Miami’s CB1 of the future. — Jim Ayello
What Lance Zierlein has to say about Will Johnson:
“Teams love big, fluid cornerbacks with ball production and that is exactly what Johnson offers. He’s instinctive and plays with good body control and change of direction in space. He can play man coverage, but he’s at his best when playing with his eyes forward instead of chasing routes downfield. Johnson displays good pre-snap recognition and can read and anticipate routes/throws at a high level. While he plays the role of thief in coverage, he needs to balance that mentality with a healthy respect for NFL route runners. He has coveted traits and his areas of concern don’t stand out as significant impediments to what could become a long, successful career as a future Pro Bowler.”
My Take: If you’ve been listening to the Podcast, I’ve said for a few weeks now that a guy like Will Johnson could be on Miami’s radar if he’s available at 13. The main reason I say this is because without ever suffering his injury (toe), the chance that Johnson would be available at 13 seems unlikely to me. Additionally, we know the league loves their quarterbacks, and with two projected to go in the top 10, an outstanding player is likely to fall directly into Chris Grier’s lap. And although you and I may continue to bang the table for building a wall in front of Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McDaniel has told us before that he’s not interested in doing things the traditional way. Furthermore, unless you plan to move Kader Kohou on the outside or think Storm Duck can be a superstar, Miami absolutely needs to find a ballhawk opposite of Ramsey. Could that be the 6’2, 202 lbs. shutdown corner from Michigan? It’s much more likely today than it was a week ago, IMHO.
What are your thoughts on drafting a cornerback with the 13th-overall pick? Do you think Will Johnson would fit Anthony Weaver’s defense? If not Johnson, how do you see Miami fixing the secondary this offseason? Should Miami consider moving Kader Kohou to the outside? Let us know in the comments section below!