Miami Dolphins Cam Smith Season Outlook

Cam Smith was a second round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. He was brought in by the Miami Dolphins with the expectation of adding depth on the backend of the defense.

Last season Smith was part of the South Carolina Gamecocks where he played 11 games. He was a big part of the defense his last two years. He put up great numbers his junior year. He finished in the top 10 nationally with 11 passes defended. He also added on three interceptions. The great showing he had his junior year led to him hardly being targeted his senior year. The one thing on his film that pops is the ability to line up all over the field.

Smith would be a free cut for the Dolphins if he was to be released. His cap hit is zero and there would be no dead money. Chances are he will not be released, but he is cheap right now. He is only due 750K at the end of this year. His contract ends at the end of 2026. After that, his play will dictate what the Dolphins want to do with him.

Expectations for Smith and this Dolphins’ secondary are high entering 2023. The Dolphins had multiple injuries on the back end of their defense last year. Smith should bring much needed depth to that unit. The Dolphins had some really good options on the back end last year. Jevon Holland, Xavien Howard, Byron Jones and Eric Rowe. Holland is the only player of those four who played every game. Jones did not play at all and he retired. With the Dolphins trading for Jalen Ramsey, where does Smith fit in? Smit will be expected to play multiple positions in 2023. It will be interesting to see where he takes the majority of the snaps he plays

It will be difficult for him to accumulate a high volume of snaps at corner with Howard and Ramsey playing out wide, but he should see a significant amount of time at nickel back. He played a good amount of snaps there in college and played well. Smith should be a good option at nickel due to his size and athleticism. He can also play out wide or at safety if the Dolphins run into the injury bug again.

With Vic Fangio leading the defense now, Smith should consistently find himself in a position to succeed. He is an aggressive corner, so if he is in position I expect him to make plays. I do not want to set the expectation too high for Smith though. Defensive back in the NFL is one of the harder positions for rookies to adjust to playing. Do not be surprised if Smith struggles early in the year, but by the end of the year he should be a solid option on the back end.