The Miami Dolphins made cornerback Chris Johnson a first -round draft pick. They are trying to give Jason Marshall the opposite boundary corner job. Jeff Hafley has said he loves developing mid-round and UDFA corners. That's good news for one veteran.
So many questions face the Dolphins heading into the 2026 season, especially in the secondary. Entering his 4th season with Miami, Ethan Bonner is hoping that he will take the next step in his development and stop showing promising traits, but this time actually make an impact.
Bonner has a less-than-desirable cast around him. That puts a 53-man roster spot under a new regime within reach. If he wants to improve his defensive snap counts, which were just 10% last season, he needs to take advantage of every opportunity.
Miami Dolphins veteran Ethan Bonner may have his best chance yet to earn playing time
There are 11 cornerbacks and one defensive back listed on the Dolphins' roster. Only a handful have more seasons under their belt than Bonner, but those seasons didn't equate to a lot of experience for most of them.
- Alex Austin: 4 years, 29 games, 28 tackles
- JuJu Brents: 3 years, 18 games, 59 tackles
- A.J. Green: 6 years, 39 games, 32 tackles
- Marco Wilson: 5 seasons, 64 games, 170 tackles
Bonner has three years of NFL experience. He has played in 21 games with 17 tackles. In his first two seasons, he combined for just 7 games as he dealt with some injuries, but last season he appeared in 14 games, primarily contributing on special teams.
The Dolphins' coaching philosophy is no longer about plug-and-play additions. Hafley has preached the process of developing players who want to be in the NFL. Bonner has done everything he can so far to stick around, but this year might be his best chance to make an impact defensively.
Training camp will provide competition in the secondary. It won't be a cakewalk for any of the corners on the roster, but Bonner has the right mindset and physical tools to make the right impression.
Bonner is living on one-year contracts, and if he is hoping to snag a longer deal, he will have to take the coaching staff's direction and prove he is more than just a holdover from the previous regime.
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