For all the flaws on the roster that ultimately led to ex-GM Chris Grier's ouster, the Miami Dolphins had a glaring issue in the preseason that took way too long to address.
Sure, credit where credit is due, the Dolphins did eventually make decent investments to bolster this key area. The issue is that it was too little, too late — at least in terms of being competitive at the dawn of the 2025 season.
A big part of the reason that Miami fell into a 1-6 hole in the first place was due to lackluster personnel in the defensive backfield. One player's promising ascent has taken a sharp turn for the worse, and all of a sudden, we're right back to square one amid the Week 12 bye.
JuJu Brents injury exacerbates Dolphins' suspect secondary depth
Electrifying as it was for the Dolphins to go to Madrid and pull out a 16-13 win over the Commanders in overtime, the victory was of the Pyrrhic variety to a large degree.
That's because rising stud cornerback JuJu Brents, a past second-round pick who showed high-end starter potential the week prior against Buffalo, went down with a season-ending foot injury, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. It's the latest in a long line of medical setbacks for the 25-year-old former Kansas State standout.
The corresponding move Miami made to address Brents' brutal break wasn't exactly inspired, or inspiring.
Roster Moves | We have signed CB A.J. Green off the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad and placed CB JuJu Brents on the injured reserve list. pic.twitter.com/Km2IgLeuk6
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 19, 2025
Although Jack Jones had the game-sealing interception versus Washington in the extra period, it's a known fact that Miami is thin in the secondary. Jones is a roller-coaster guesser type of corner whose high-risk, high-reward playing style can get him burned against better competition.
Also of note is that safety Ashtyn Davis came back in Week 11 for the first time in about a month, which meant the Fins had to survive life without him by leaning a lot on rookie fifth-round pick Dante Trader Jr.
Not that Trader has fared too poorly, but that's not exactly a winning strategy to rely that much on a Day-3 draft selection.
Anyway, cornerback was an obvious need before the season and got even more dire when Jalen Ramsey was traded. Although that trade netted the Fins an All-Pro safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick, veteran corner Rasul Douglas didn't sign until late August. That undoubtedly impacted the beginning of the season when the losses piled up, despite Douglas' stellar season overall.
Twigs, spit, an ascending front seven, and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are holding together the back end of the Dolphins' defense. While they may not be exposed against the likes of the Saints, Jets, or (perhaps) the Steelers in the coming weeks, it could rear its ugly head when it matters most in late December and early January.