The South Florida Sun Sentinel continues its eight-part series previewing top players in the 2023 NFL draft (April 27-29) with defensive backs. For the Dolphins, the secondary might be the strongest part of the team among players such as Pro Bowl cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey, veteran cornerback Keion Crossen, young cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Nik Needham, and safeties Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, DeShon Elliott, Verone McKinley III and Elijah Campbell.
If all goes according to plan the defensive backs collection could be the best the Dolphins have fielded in the past 20 years or so.
Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Witherspoon (5 foot 11, 181 pounds) had 41 tackles, three interceptions and an impressive 14 pass breakups with 17 passes defended last season, leading to first-team All-America honors. He’s not big, but he’s still sticky as glue in man coverage.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Gonzalez (6-1, 197) has amazing athleticism, as his 4.38-second 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical jump suggest. He had 50 tackles and four interceptions last season, and when you combine his skills with his size and speed, it’s a strong union.
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Porter (6-2, 193), the son of former Steelers and Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, combines aggression with a high level of skill. He’s strong in man and zone coverages and has the potential to become a shutdown corner.
Brian Branch, S, Alabama
Branch (6-0, 190) is a guy who does it all, and really stands out in the slot. He had 90 tackles, 14 for losses, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. He’s strong against the run and the pass, which is what you want.
Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
Banks (6-0, 197) has the attention-getting numbers when you consider his 4.35-second 40-yard dash and 42-inch vertical jump. He’s got good size, too. As an added bonus, he’s a willing tackler.
Best of the rest
Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina; Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama; Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia; J.L. Skinner, S, Boise State; Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State; Sydney Brown, S, Illinois; Christopher Smith, S, Georgia; Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M; Ji’Ayir Bown, S, Penn State.
Class grade: B+
It’s a strong year for cornerbacks. As many as five could hear their names called in the first round, and maybe two in the top 10. It’s not such a good year for safeties at the top of the draft, where one might go in the first round. Still, both cornerback and safety figure to do pretty well through Day 2, the second and third rounds.
Teams in need
This is similar to the offensive line in that you pretty much need five guys (including the slot cornerback), so almost every team is almost always in need. But taking it from the top there’s Arizona, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia, Tennessee, New York Jets, New England, Green Bay, Washington, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Buffalo.
Dolphins’ focus
Among players such as Ramsey, Howard, Holland, Jones, Kohou, Needham, Crossen, Elliott and others, there’s no big concern for now. The Dolphins could even absorb an injury or two, such as they did last year, and be OK. This is a deep and talented group that’s only challenged by the wide receivers and edge rushers as the best unit on the team. By the way, recall Kohou, Needham and McKinley were all acquired as undrafted rookie free agents so the Dolphins have a keen eye for spotting talent here via draft, trade and signing undrafted rookies.
Previously addressed
Dolphins NFL draft options: Linebackers
Dolphins NFL draft options: Wide receivers
Dolphins NFL draft options: Tight ends
