Jon-Eric Sullivan continued to display his flair for the bold when he opted to select mountainous offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with the team's first selection under his watch. While the pick has left many fans wary, what's done is done. Proctor will hopefully pan out in Miami, pairing with Patrick Paul to provide the Miami Dolphins with one of the largest offensive tackle duos in the NFL.
It was their second pick in the first round, however, that should have fans with delusional excitement. When the Dolphins opted to trade up for San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, Sullivan was simply delivering on his promise from earlier this month. His comment that he would "go up and get them" if there were a stud available proved clairvoyant.
Chris Johnson has a truly elite athletic profile. Armed with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, a 38" vertical jump, and a 10'6" broad jump, it's clear that there's gobs of potential with this pick. In fact, his 9.84 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) ranks 51st out of 3,075 cornerbacks since 1987. The numbers themselves might not do it justice, but the player comparisons will.
Chris Johnson's player comparisons seem almost too good to be true for the Miami Dolphins
With the obvious caveat that Johnson will have to prove it on the field to meet these expectations, the type of player the Dolphins have just selected should excite fans. Johnson's RAS compares favorably to former Defensive Rookie of the Year Marshon Lattimore. Using MockDraftable's database, he draws insane pulls such as the Texans' Derek Stingley Jr. and the Eagles' Quinyon Mitchell.
Finally, NFL Draft Buzz's player comparison tool invokes the name of the Patriots' Christian Gonzalez. These players have a combined eight Pro Bowls, with three 1st Team All-Pro nods and one 2nd Team All-Pro distinction. Need I go on?
The fact that the Dolphins' latest draft pick puts him in the conversation with some of the league's top cornerbacks will inevitably uplift the fanbase. It's no secret that the cornerback position is a major need in Miami at the moment. Following the departure of Jack Jones to the 49ers and Rasul Douglas' expected farewell, the cornerback room will be nearly unrecognizable in 2026.
Sullivan opted to assemble a group of unproven journeymen to duke it out for starting jobs. It was a necessary strategy due to the Dolphins' volatile salary cap situation. With the addition of Chris Johnson, however, there is now a highly pedigreed addition in the room. It's going to take some time before fans know if the team has unearthed their next Xavien Howard. Regardless, it's safe to say there's a lot of optimism about the possibility.
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