The Miami Dolphins have begun their offseason processes of evaluating their roster and coaching staff, as they look to achieve more in the 2023 season than they did in 2022.
While they’re doing their own assessments, it’s important for us to do the same.
We’ll continue to look through the Dolphins roster and break down the position groups, reviewing how they performed in their first season under head coach Mike McDaniel.
We’ve already hit on the:
- Quarterbacks
- Running backs
- Wide Receivers
- Tight ends
- Offensive linemen
- Defensive linemen
- Linebackers
Today, we’ll look at the cornerbacks.
Xavien Howard: C-
Howard was named to the Pro Bowl in 2023, but that may have been a legacy honor rather than one that was actually deserved. He played 85.6% of Miami’s snaps, the third-most on the defense, but he just wasn’t as effective as he had been in the past.
Whether it was giving up key third-down conversions or long touchdowns, Howard wasn’t himself. The groin injuries that he sustained early in the season could be a key reason for this drop-off. Miami will have to hope that is the case, and not the fact that he’s hitting the dreaded 30-year-old season.
Kader Kohou: B+
Without Byron Jones for the full season, Kohou stepped up in a big way. The undrafted rookie made the leap from Texas A&M Commerce to the NFL rather seamlessly, and he assumed the second cornerback spot for a large portion of the year.
Whether it was his instincts to be around the ball or his commendable tackling ability for a cornerback, Kohou impressed many in his first 15 games.
Nik Needham: C+
In a contract year, Needham was forced into a larger role than expected without Jones. He allowed his lowest completion percentage of his career (52.6%), according to Pro Football Reference, but he only played in six contests due to a torn Achilles which cost him the remainder of the season.
While his future is up in the air, he’s proven that he’s a reliable slot cornerback when healthy.
Keion Crossen: D+
Miami signed Crossen to a three-year contract this past offseason for his special teams’ prowess. Going into the year, he had never played more than 28% of a team’s defensive snaps, but due to injuries, he played 36% this year.
While it wasn’t ideal, Crossen did some things right and fought through his own injury for a good chunk of the season.
Noah Igbinoghene: D+
The expectations of a first-round selection should no longer be on Igbinoghene’s shoulders. Three years into his career, it’s pretty clear he won’t be a top cornerback in South Florida. He was made available for only nine games in 2022 with many healthy scratches.
However, Igbinoghene did have the game-sealing interception off of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. That’s worth something.
