Facts and conclusions on the Dolphins’ defensive backfield and where to go from here

Some facts and conclusions on the Dolphins’ defensive backfield, the latest in our series on different position groups:

▪ Fact: Nobody expects the play of the team’s No. 3 corner to be as good as Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard, but it wasn’t nearly good enough either.

Kader Kohou mysteriously regressed. As a rookie in 2022, he allowed a 80.7 passer rating in his coverage area — 21st best among players targeted at least 50 times in that ‘22 season.

He had one interception, in the Green Bay game and yielded just one touchdown in 106 targets. He was the most-targeted cornerback in the league as a rookie and very much held his own.

This past season, he was targeted 80 times (25th most) and allowed far too many completions (67) for far too many yards (721) and too many touchdowns (seven), without an interception.

The seven TDs allowed tied for sixth most in the league. The yards permitted were 12th most.

His 133.4 passer rating against was second worst among cornerbacks targeted at least 50 times, ahead of only New England’s Marco Wilson.

Here’s the glass-half-full perspective: Kohou is competitive, durable, around the ball a lot and has proven (as a rookie) than he can be an effective NFL corner. Kohou and whoever replaces cornerbacks coach Sam Madison must try to get him back to his rookie form.

Eli Apple, signed during training camp after Jalen Ramsey’s MCL injury, had a bloated 104.3 passer rating in his coverage area, with 47 of 70 targets caught for 637 yards (a 13.6 average), three touchdowns allowed and one interception.

But former coordinator Vic Fangio trusted him ahead of Cam Smith, Nik Needham, Justin Bethel and Parry Nickerson, who finished the season on the practice squad.

▪ Conclusion: The Dolphins shouldn’t give up on Kohou (who’s due $985,000 in 2024), but he needs strong competition for the No. 3 cornerback job because his performance this past season wasn’t good enough. In other words, Miami cannot go into next season planning for Kohou to be a top three cornerback.

And if the Dolphins aren’t convinced Smith is good enough to be their No. 4 cornerback, then finding an upgrade over Apple is essential. Apple will be an unrestricted free agent.

▪ Fact: Ramsey was as good or better than advertised. And Howard, when healthy, was clearly better than the previous season.

Ramsey’s stats were otherworldly since his late-October return from knee surgery: A 48 passer rating in his coverage area, which was third best among cornerbacks targeted at least 35 times (behind only Jaylon Johnson and Martin Emerson Jr.).

Ramsey permitted 19 of the 36 passes against him to be caught for 237 yards (a 12.5 average per reception) with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Howard allowed a solid 86.7 passer rating in his coverage area, yielding two TDs with one interception.

Of the 71 targets against him, 44 were caught for 502 yards (11.4 average). That 62 percent completion percentage was 36th best among NFL cornerbacks.

His 2023 work was a big upgrade over 2022. Among players targeted at least 50 times in coverage in 2022, Howard’s passer rating against (121.9) was the sixth worst in the league.

In 2022, he allowed 54 of 80 passes against him to be caught for 826 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. The 826 yards were second most allowed by any NFL defensive back, behind only Minnesota’s Chandon Sullivan.

Playing opposite Ramsey helped. And Howard looked more like the five time Pro Bowler, without the large volume of interceptions.

▪ Conclusion: Howard is worth keeping, but only if the Dolphins can find a way to dramatically reduce his $25.9 million cap number for 2024 and potentially lower his salary. If he’s resistant, Miami might have no choice but to move on, considering the immense cap savings of cutting him in June.

If they release him without a June 1 designation (which would be senseless), his dead money cap hit would be $23.1 million. If they release him after June 1, it would be a more manageable $7.4 million and that would save $18 million in cap space. But keep in mind that none of that $18 million in space could be used before June 1.

The question is whether Howard would be willing to take a cut from his $15.4 million base salary for 2024 — none of which is guaranteed. (An associate was pessimistic about him taking a pay cut if asked, but did not know for sure what he will do.)

The best result for Miami would be a much lower cap number, a modest pay cut and keeping him. The best result for Howard could depend on what other options he has.

▪ Fact: Because of his painful sprained MCLs, we never saw the best of Jevon Holland when needed most. And that certainly wasn’t his fault.

But heading into his fourth season, we’re waiting for Holland to take the step from very good NFL safety to an elite, Pro Bowl one.

He will need some good fortune; this year’s injuries limited him to 12 games, and he removed himself from the 12th of those games (the season finale against Buffalo) because he felt the knee injuries were limiting his movement.

The 99-yard interception return for a TD against the Jets (his only pick of the season) and three forced fumbles were highlights.

In Holland’s defense, PFF rated him the third-best safety in football and eighth best against the run.

In coverage, PFF said he allowed a bloated 108.9 passer rating in his coverage area — 22 completions in 32 targets for 240 yards (a 10.9 average), with three TDs allowed and one interception.

Holland’s passer rating against, just one measure of his overall body of work, was 88.6 as a rookie and 98.3 in 2022.

▪ Conclusion: Holland remains a key building block of this defense, a high-ceiling player who can make game-changing plays. But to be paid among the top safeties in the game in 2025 and beyond, he probably needs to make more of those game-changing plays and improve overall consistency.

Let’s be clear: He’s a very good player. But to pay him Pro Bowl money eventually, there must be consistent Pro Bowl level performance.

▪ Fact: DeShon Elliott had some pass breakdowns but played generally well, especially against the run. And Brandon Jones helped himself significantly late in the season.

As for Elliott, PFF rated him 28th of 99 safeties but sixth against the run.

In coverage, per PFF, he allowed a 116.6 passer rating in his coverage area: 21 of 31 completions for 292 yards (a 13.9 average), three touchdowns and one interception.

Elliott started ahead of his close friend and former Texas teammate, Brandon Jones, to start the season while Jones was making his way back from last October’s torn ACL.

Jones played a lot in the second half of the season due to injuries to Holland (primarily) and Elliott (a bit) and Fangio said he liked how he played.

Jones permitted only 8 of 11 passes in his coverage area to be caught for just 41 yards, with two interceptions and one touchdown allowed. That’s a sterling 68.9 passer rating in his coverage area.

PFF ranked Jones 16th among all safeties.

Both are impending free agents.

▪ Conclusion: The Dolphins face interesting decisions about whether to bring back Elliott, Jones or both.

If the contracts are team-friendly, a case could be made to retain both, even though continuity isn’t quite as important with a new defensive coordinator, with Anthony Weaver replacing Fangio.

But though their skill sets are slightly different, it’s clear that there’s not much gap in ability between the two.