Success for the Miami Dolphins in 2026 will very likely depend on how strong the team’s rookie class performs.
After the Dolphins cut ties with most of their high-priced players this offseason, they underwent a youth movement as they added 13 players in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Out of those 13 rookies, four were listed by the Dolphins as starters in the team’s first official depth chart. Unfortunately, one of those rookies was unable to participate in Wednesday’s joint practice with the Washington Commanders due to an apparent injury, which the team has yet to disclose.
Miami Dolphins Rookie Misses Practice
The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly revealed that rookie first-round pick cornerback Chris Johnson missed the team’s joint practice, likely due to an injury.
Kelly wrote: “Rookie cornerback Chris Johnson would have had a phenomenal opportunity to gauge his development lining up against Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs during Wednesday’s joint practice against the Washington Commanders. However, the Dolphins’ 2026 first-round pick was seemingly shelved for Wednesday’s practice, possibly because of an injury he’s nursing. Johnson didn’t take a single 1-on-1, 7-on-7, or 11-on-11 snap against the Commanders.
The severity of Johnson’s possible injury isn’t clear, and neither is whether he will participate in Friday’s preseason game against the Commanders. But if the former San Diego State standout is nursing an injury the Dolphins trainers will likely proceed with caution since there are two more exhibition games to be played.”
Miami Dolphins Secondary
Dolphins fans will hope the injury isn’t too serious and that Johnson can get his first NFL action in Friday’s preseason game. Johnson has impressed during the team’s offseason program to the degree that he’s been listed as a rookie starter despite playing the nickel cornerback role for the first time.
However, Johnson starting for this defense isn’t too surprising given the state of Miami’s secondary. Sharp Football Analysis ranked Miami’s secondary as the worst in the NFL as they wrote: “The Dolphins were a unanimous choice as our worst secondary. Opponents completed 52% of their passes 10 or more yards downfield against Miami last year, the league’s third-worst rate. And now Miami has to try to improve despite losing Minkah Fitzpatrick.”
Losing Johnson for significant time would be a substantial blow for a Dolphins secondary that can’t afford to lose any starter. Big things are expected from Johnson in his rookie season as he was ranked as the 35th-best prospect in this year’s NFL Draft by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.
Regarding Johnson, Jeremiah wrote: “Johnson has excellent height, bulk and movement skills for his position. In press coverage, he doesn’t use his hands to reroute the receiver, but he has very quick feet and he’s fluid to open up/run. He will mix in some bail technique, where he’ll turn his back toward the sideline, run and stay on top of wideouts. He’s at his best in off coverage, where he shows excellent eyes/instincts to trigger on throws in front of him. He’s natural in finding and playing the ball. Johnson is extremely tough and aggressive to fill versus the run. He’s a dependable tackler in space and he flashes burst/closing ability as a blitzer. He had an up-and-down week at the Senior Bowl, but he rebounded with an outstanding NFL Scouting Combine performance. Coaches at SDSU rave about his character and toughness.”
The Dolphins traded up in the first round to select him with the 27th overall pick.
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