The Miami Dolphins had two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and while everyone is excited about Kadyn Proctor, the first of the two Day-1 selections, the second, cornerback Chris Johnson, could be a future superstar.
Johnson, 21, played both cornerback and wide receiver in high school before sticking to defense during his four seasons at San Diego State, where he earned All-Mountain West and All-American honors in 2025.
In 47 career games with the Aztecs, he recorded 152 tackles, 14 passes defensed, six interceptions, five forced fumbles and one sack.
Now in Miami, not only is he adjusting to life as a professional football player and all that comes with that, but he’s also practicing at both slot and boundary cornerback, making things a bit more difficult.
However, Johnson isn’t shying away from the challenge.
“It’s definitely interesting, doing it at this level. I feel like, back at school, when I did it, I was kind of just playing man-to-man in there, but coming here and actually learning the zone drops and different kind of coverages is not easy, but I’m getting it done,” Johnson told reporters on Thursday after the team’s final minicamp session. . “Coach [Jeff Hafley] being able to put me in that position says that he views me as a very important player to be able to do important things, playing inside and outside. That’s just a lot of pressure on me, but like I said, I enjoy pressure. I like to come on top.”
Johnson flashed in minicamp without pads on, and his coach seemed thrilled with performance.
“He’s done a really nice job,” Hafley said. “He is very instinctual. He sees the game very fast. He works really hard in the meeting rooms. He’s super athletic, has really good coverage ability. He’s been able to get his hand on the football and we’ve asked him to do a lot and he’s handled it very, very well, which is what I kind of told you maybe a week or two ago. We’ve thrown a lot on his plate and he’s responded and I’m really excited to continue to coach him.”
There’s a strong chance that Johnson is Miami’s top cornerback in 2026, and while that’s a lot for anyone to handle, the rookie is taking it head-on, which shows that he has confidence necessary to be a star at the position.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins first-round pick has mentality to be a true superstar
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire | USA TODAY Network
