Chris Johnson 'checks every box' to validate Dolphins' draft trade up

The Miami Dolphins are placing a premium on draft picks as they embark upon a lengthy rebuild, so it says a lot that they traded up toward the end of Round 1 for San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

After moving back earlier on Thursday night to select polarizing Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor, Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan wanted to make sure he got his guy. Armed with a war chest of draft capital, Sullivan made the move from No. 30 to No. 27 to secure Miami's potential No. 1 corner of the future.

Fins fans may not be super well-acquainted with Johnson, who hails from a less-heralded Aztecs football program. At least in the opinion of one notable draft expert, the trade-up for Johnson was fully justified.

New Dolphins CB Chris Johnson has the makings of a 'Day 1 starter' & could be one of the steals of the draft

FanSided draft expert Marcus Mosher provided the following blurb about Johnson prior to the draft, so bear in mind, this objective evaluation has nothing to do with his fit in Miami:

"Johnson checks every box you would want from a non-Power-4 cornerback. He was extremely productive over multiple seasons and has the ability to play on the outside and in the slot. He tested as an elite athlete and was one of the best tackling cornerbacks in the country. While he doesn't have elite size, Johnson is a well-rounded cornerback prospect who projects as a Day 1 starter."

That prior paragraph was a necessary qualifier, because if we're being honest here, it's not a high bar to clear for a rookie first-round pick to be the 2026 Miami Dolphins' CB1. You're not going to find too many future All-Pros among the likes of Storm Duck, Marco Wilson, and others.

Now, to be fair to JuJu Brents, he flashed nicely last season when healthy. Unfortunately, he's struggled to stay on the field for his entire NFL career. If Brents can get his body right, he and Johnson could all of a sudden give Miami a nice cornerback tandem this year.

Back to Johnson. He allowed only a 16.1 opponent passer rating last season, with four interceptions and a 91.9 PFF zone coverage grade. New Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley's zone-heavy scheme is a great match for Johnson's skill set.

Another asset Johnson brings to the Fins: He's a reliable tackler in space. He missed only 5.4% of his tackle attempts for his college career. That is simply outstanding.

So as Mosher says, perhaps Johnson doesn't have elite size, yet he's plenty big (and athletic) enough to fulfill his destiny as a key Dolphins franchise pillar.

As weird a swerve as it was for Sullivan to draft Proctor so high, when Patrick Paul is already entrenched at left tackle, being aggressive to land Johnson sure did make up for it.

There's sure to be some big swings on traits and upside, but the Dolphins need to build their foundation through this draft class with productive players as well. Johnson is the best of both worlds.

Cornerback is a high-value position, especially against an AFC East division that features elite passers like Josh Allen and Drake Maye. Miami now has a potential lockdown cornerback in Johnson, who, thanks in part to the Proctor-featured heavy run on offensive tackles, was only the second corner to come off the board.

Masterfully played by Sullivan — and at the mere cost of converting one of his four third-round picks into an early Day 3 selection.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow