Who’s the Future of the 2026 Miami Dolphins Secondary?
With the Dolphins’ first week of training camp officially in the books, it’s time to take a look at the final position group of the 2026 Miami Dolphins, and that’s the secondary. Out of all the groups we’ve taken a look at so far, Miami’s corners and safeties are probably the worst position groups on the team. At the very least, other contenders have some potential not to be completely redone during their next offseason. Outside of a few players and potential breakouts, there’s not a whole lot of talent across the board. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the guys who could be the next Xavien Howard or Reshad Jones for the Dolphins.
These Are the Rookies to Rely On
The first set of guys are easy ones to pinpoint towards a rebuilding secondary, and those are the rookies ready to make noise this upcoming season: Chris Johnson, Michael Taaffe, and Kyle Louis. We’ll start with Louis because he’s the biggest unknown, but it’s not based on his abilities. Louis, a potential day two pick that Miami nabbed in the late fourth round with the 138th pick, is listed as a linebacker on the Dolphins’ depth chart. The problem is that the former Pitt Panther stands at six-foot-one, 220 pounds. That’s pretty undersized for a college linebacker, much less an NFL one. The good thing is that the former fourth-rounder had over 550+ snaps in the slot over his entire college career. He’s got major versatility as both a linebacker and slot corner, and the explosiveness and speed to excel at both.
The other two rookies are much easier to understand, as both play in the secondary as their primary position. We’ll start with the former first-rounder Johnson. Remember, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan traded up in the first round to get the San Diego State product, so it’s clear how much his skill set caught the eyes of Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. It’s shown during the first week of training camp as well, with Johnson getting his first interception of camp off of Quinn Ewers. Speaking of former Texas Longhorns, the final player is the former fifth-round pick Taaffe. He might be strong as an athlete, only running a 4.5 40-yard-dash and a 1.58 10-yard shuffle, but the former college walk-on has proven himself time and time again. He took home both first-team All-SEC and first-team All-American in 2025, and while he might not be an all-pro caliber starter in the NFL, the preparation and hardship that going from a walk-on to an NFL player instilled in Taaffe gives him a better shot than most to carve out a solid career.
Rookie or Not, He Still Deserves a Look
One last player I want to highlight is former second-round pick of the Colts, JuJu Brents. The Kansas State product came into the league at six-foot-two, 198 pounds, and has really struggled to stay healthy. He’s missed big chunks of every single season since being drafted in 2023, with the most recent injury being a right foot/ankle injury that sidelined him for the final 10 games of last season. He did show flashes, though, with his most notable performance being in Miami’s upset win over the Buffalo Bills 30-13. He’s only 26 years old, and if Brents can shake the injury-prone tag that he’s garnered over his career, the former Wildcat can be a solid piece for Miami’s secondary in the years to come.
