The Miami Dolphins added to the secondary by selecting cornerback Chris Johnson out of San Diego State with pick No. 27 overall. Miami moved to select Johnson, sending picks Nos. 30 and 90 to the San Francisco 49ers.
Johnson is coming off an impressive 2025 season at San Diego State, recording four interceptions and returning two for touchdowns. He also totaled nine passes defensed, a forced fumble and 49 tackles. According to PFF, he held opposing quarterbacks to a 16.1 passer rating when targeted.
Johnson flew up draft boards after a standout combine performance, which included a 4.40 time on the 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical.
Secondary is one of the biggest needs on the Dolphins roster entering the 2026 draft. The Dolphins’ cornerback and safety positions will consist of multiple newcomers in the lineup. Miami will have two new starting cornerbacks in 2026 after Jack Jones signed with the 49ers, and Rasul Douglas remains a free agent.
This is a perfect opportunity for Johnson to establish a role on the Miami defense early in his career. New Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has a strong background as a defensive backs coach. Johnson will likely be a day-one starter for the Dolphins in 2026.
There is still a lot of work to be done to shore up this secondary ahead of 2026. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is likely not done adding to the cornerback group with 11 more picks remaining for the Dolphins in this draft.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick analysis
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Instant analysis of Dolphins taking CB Chris Johnson in 2026 NFL draft
Reporting by James Trefry, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
