When a local reporter asked Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard who people should be keeping an eye out for as camp got underway on Tuesday, he was standing at a platform not long after leaving the practice field.
Howard didn’t hesitate.
“Kader,” he replied.
He was referring to Kader Kohou, a cornerback in his second season who made a surprising impact as an undrafted free agent the previous year. And given that Jalen Ramsey will undergo surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee and is anticipated to miss the start of the regular season, the promise Kohou showed as a rookie will need to be developed sooner than anticipated, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. Ramsey could miss “a few months,” according to one source, depending on how the operation goes.
“My boy, Kader. Dude is a straight dawg,” Howard said. “His mentality he has, just being an undrafted guy, I continue to see him grow and get better on the field.”
Ramsey was carried to the locker room following practice on Thursday after colliding with wide receiver Tyreek Hill during 11-on-11 drills. He had an MRI, and it revealed a meniscus injury.
The Dolphins have struggled with cornerback injuries for the previous three seasons. In particular, in 2022, when Byron Jones, Nik Needham, and Trill Williams missed a total of 45 regular-season games, the Dolphins’ situation is uncomfortably familiar. Even after trading for Ramsey this offseason, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier added depth to the room by selecting cornerback Cam Smith in the second round.
“In this league, and especially in the AFC, with a lot of talented quarterbacks and teams, we can never have enough corners, as we experienced last year with the rash of injuries that we dealt with,” Grier said.
In the first 11 weeks, the Dolphins play five of the top 10 teams according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Even in the best-case scenario, Ramsey’s absence would be a significant blow for the Dolphins defense, which is adjusting to a new scheme under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Ramsey’s schedule is still uncertain at this moment.
Kohou earned 13 starts as a rookie and might have found the two significant acquisitions the team made at his position offensive.
“First of all, I wasn’t even supposed to be here last year,” he said. “It is always going to be competition and stuff. I was excited when they added Ramsey. He is one of my favorite players to watch. I feel like him being here with X, I’m going to just learn from them, and it’s going to take my game to another level.”
Miami wasn’t quite at full strength when training camp started. The slot cornerback Needham is attempting his comeback after tearing his Achilles last October. He was there for spring workouts, working in the background, but was not added to the team’s roster of players who were physically unable to perform.
As things stand, Howard would probably start alongside Kohou and Smith, with Keion Crossen and 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene also being considered. Trill Williams, who tore his ACL during the preseason last year, has also yet to fully recover. However, he had a solid training camp in 2022 and may be in contention for some significant plays by the end of the summer.
In addition to being an All-Pro in 2020, Howard was chosen for the Pro Bowl each of the previous three seasons. After fighting soft tissue problems in 2021 and 2022, Howard is now injury-free and, despite having a subpar season in 2018, still sees himself as a No. 1 cornerback.
“I believe? I am a true No. 1. What are you talking about?” Howard said, laughing, Tuesday. “But we’re cornerbacks. We have that. That’s part of our game.”
“That push at the end of the season gon’ be legendary!” At night on Thursday, Ramsey tweeted.
“That end of the season push gon be legendary!” Ramsey tweeted Thursday evening.
