Cam

Smith

The 2023 second-rounder was on the non-football injury list. He managed just 155 snaps over two years with the Dolphins and will go down as a big whiff by Chris Grier with the 51st overall pick. Smith will look to catch on elsewhere once healthy.

The Dolphins appear dead set on a split with No. 1 CB Jalen Ramsey, which would leave them with slot CB Kader Kohou as the only reliable starter at the position. The 30-year-old Douglas is no longer a high-impact perimeter starter, having produced a single-digit (6.5 percent) forced incompletion rate last year; the first time doing so since 2018. He would still likely be an upgrade over penciled-in perimeter starters, Storm Duck and Cam Smith. Should the team resolve their issues with Ramsey, and sign Douglas, they would suddenly have a decent starting trio on their hands.

Cornerback Kendall Fuller was ruled out before kickoff and fellow corner Kader Kohou exited with a back injury in the first half and hasn’t returned as of the third quarter. The slew of injuries leaves Miami drastically undermanned in the secondary for the final quarter.

The Dolphins injury report is lengthy, with several defensive players listed. In addition to Howard missing practice with a hip injury, CB Jalen Ramsey was listed as limited due to vet rest and CB Cam Smith (hamstring) and S Jevon Holland (knee) were also limited in practice. The Dolphins DBs have time to heal before a Week 16 game against the Cowboys, though Howard has more of an uphill climb than the others.

The Dolphins hope to avoid the injured list but haven’t ruled it out. The second-round pick has been limited to special teams through the first seven weeks, playing four defensive snaps. Smith is likely facing a multi-week absence if he doesn’t go on IR.

Smith had a somewhat disappointing 2022 season at South Carolina after his stellar 2021 campaign, when he held opposing wideouts to just 15 catches on 32 targets. In Miami, Smith will join a secondary graded by Pro Football Focus as last season’s fifth worst pass coverage unit.

A local product who grew up in Blythewood, S.C., Smith (6’1/180) is a former four-star recruit who participated in the U.S. Army All-American game. He broke out in 2021 by holding opponents to just 15 receptions on 32 targets for 184 yards and a sparkling 36.5 passer rating when targeted while finishing second in the SEC with 11 PBU and earning Second-Team All-SEC recognition. While Smith’s elite play from 2021 slipped a bit last year, going from a lofty 89.7 PFF coverage grade to a middling 64.4 in 2022. Smith logged 196 snaps in the slot and 356 outside last season, a stark increase in slot duties from the 32 slot reps he played in his breakout 2021 campaign. A big reason for the increased slot usage could be the 11 penalties he committed last season, as Smith has a tendency to get grabby when out of phase. Though receivers were able to get by him at times, his 4.43s 40 was a strong 87th% mark and his 10-yard split of 1.48s is a legitimately blazing 97th percentile time. Toss in a pair of excellent jumps, and Smith’s 9.68 RAS score is a major green flag for his transition to the pros. He ramps up extremely well and has that dawg in him in coverage, but Smith can get manhandled in the run games at times. His sound instincts and versatility to play inside or out makes Smith an intriguing second corner option for zone-based defenses.

Smith (6'0/185) turned in an impressive 2021 when he allowed a 36.5 passer rating against. Smith was targeted on just 32 passes last season, allowing a receiving line of 15-184-1 to opposing receivers. Now on the Bednarik Award watch list, Smith will look to turn in another impressive campaign in what may be his final season before declaring for the NFL Draft.

The top cornerback on PFF’s big board, Smith (6'0/185) had a fantastic season for the Gamecocks. The most impressive of his stats was the passer rating against. He allowed a passer rating of only 36.5 which is quite impressive considering throwing the ball into the ground would garner a rating of 39.6. If he can match that next season in the SEC, Smith will likely stay atop the leader board all season.

Smith (6'0/185) put a solid 2021 season in the books, totaling 41 tackles (31 solo) with 11 passes defended, three interceptions and one forced fumble. He’s looking to build upon that in 2022 and already gaining a lot of recognition ahead of what’s expected to be a huge year for him. When PFF released its list of cornerbacks that made it on the big board, Smith was at the top and listed as the No. 12 player overall.