The Miami Dolphins have five weeks off until training camp begins. Following minicamp sessions and OTAs, rookie head coach Jeff Hafley was able to evaluate his new team, but the real **** sment will come in July when the pads and helmets come on, and actual football is played.
In Part II of this Dolphins Wire series of what to watch for this summer in South Florida, the focus here is on the secondary, an area in which Hafley is very familiar as a former defensive backs position coach.
The Dolphins drafted cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round of the 2026 draft and traded up to select him. As Hafley has indicated several times over the last few months, Johnson could be used both on the boundary as well as in the slot when in the nickel formation. This will certainly be something to watch for in camp, especially in joint practices with the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
Hafley told reporters back in May, “Chris is going to play inside and outside. We got to be careful overloading any young player, but we also have to get a feel for the players and see how much that they can handle.”
Clearly fond of the San Diego State lockdown corner, Hafley discussed the rookie's performance over the last few weeks, saying, “I think he's done a really nice job. 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.”
In Part II of this Dolphins Wire series of what to watch for this summer in South Florida, the focus here is on the secondary, an area in which Hafley is very familiar as a former defensive backs position coach.
The Dolphins drafted cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round of the 2026 draft and traded up to select him. As Hafley has indicated several times over the last few months, Johnson could be used both on the boundary as well as in the slot when in the nickel formation. This will certainly be something to watch for in camp, especially in joint practices with the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
Hafley told reporters back in May, “Chris is going to play inside and outside. We got to be careful overloading any young player, but we also have to get a feel for the players and see how much that they can handle.”
Clearly fond of the San Diego State lockdown corner, Hafley discussed the rookie's performance over the last few weeks, saying, “I think he's done a really nice job. 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.”
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