MIAMI GARDENS — After the big offensive lineman came the cover corner pick for the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins selected San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson with their second first-round pick of the NFL draft Thursday night after securing Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor first.
Like with the Proctor pick, which involved Miami moving back a spot to take the mammoth blocker at No. 12, new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made a trade involving the pick.
Sullivan traded up from his pick at No. 30, which was originally acquired via the Broncos in the deal that sent wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to Denver, with the San Francisco 49ers to pick Johnson at No. 27.
“It definitely surprised me,” Johnson said of the moment the Dolphins came calling. “Man, it was just a great feeling, just understanding a team values me enough to be able to trade up and grab me.”
New Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley has a background in coaching defensive backs, so the pick has his fingerprints all over it.
Johnson, who is 6 feet, 193 pounds, was a second-team All-American last season at San Diego State and was the co-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. He had four interceptions, returning two of them for touchdowns, adding 49 tackles, a sack and nine pass breakups.
In 2024, Johnson had 67 tackles with three forced fumbles, an interception and four pass breakups.
Johnson possesses blazing speed, running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February. Mixing that with a 38-inch vertical and 10-6 broad jump, he looks to let his athletic traits he displayed at the combine shine on the field.
Analysts say Johnson is capable of mirroring receivers in coverage. He is touted for his footwork and technique and is also a secure tackler, but taller receivers can high-point the ball against him.
Johnson is said to be scheme-versatile and can play either on the boundary or as a nickel covering the slot.
“He’s got great feet, great balance and body control. He’s physical. He’s a big corner,” Sullivan said. “He’s got ball skills. I mean, when you start checking the boxes for a defensive back, there weren’t really many left — there were none, really. He’ll tackle. He’s got upside. He’s 21 years old. He’s a good kid. He handles his business. He works, wants to be a good player. He’s about the right stuff. He’s the kind of guy that we want to infuse into this locker room.”
One thing Hafley mentioned within the past month when speaking at the league’s annual meeting was that he grades cornerbacks on whether they can win at all three levels — at the line of scrimmage, on intermediate routes and then down the field.
“Really, all three,” Johnson said of what he feels confident he can do. “I feel like, obviously, I can improve on all three, as well, but I feel like I’m sound in all three.
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“And obviously just understanding, if you lose Phase 1 and 2, Phase 3 is where the money happens, where the ball comes. So being able to recover and be able to make a play whenever, wherever you’re at in relation to the receiver, man, I feel like that’s the most important one. But definitely just excited to keep working on my craft and keep improving.”
Johnson was the second cornerback taken in the draft, behind only LSU’s Mansoor Delane, who went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the sixth pick. Johnson went above Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, once expected to be in contention with Delane for the top cornerback selected, but knee concerns bumped McCoy out of the first round.
In trading with San Francisco, Miami sent one of its four third-round selections, No. 90 overall, to the 49ers and acquired a compensatory fourth-rounder, No. 138.
