Why the Dolphins’ next two matchups will show where young CB unit is at

The Miami Dolphins will learn a lot about their young cornerbacks over the next few weeks.

Read more Kelly: Investment in youth needs to produce payoff for Dolphins | Opinion

That’s because the Dolphins face one of the better wide receiver corps Sunday in the Minnesota Vikings, a unit punctuated by one of the best at the position in Justin Jefferson. A week later, the Cincinnati Bengals — which features another candidate for best wideout in the league by the name of Ja’Marr Chase — come into town for an Oct. 12 showdown.

To classify the upcoming back-to-back games as a test for the cornerbacks would be an understatement. Every Sunday is a test in the NFL and the grading scale is pass-fail. More accurately, the next two matchups present an opportunity for the cornerback unit to evaluate themselves against some of the best in the game.

“The first thing is just the confidence,” cornerback JuJu Brents said when asked what it takes to line up against an elite wide receiver. “You got to take it to ‘em. You got to be the one to throw the first punch — not actually throwing a punch — but setting the tone by going out there and being aggressive.”

Even without Jefferson, who was ruled out Friday with an ankle injury, the Vikings possess a competent wide receiver corps. Jordan Addison has hovered just below the 1,000-yard mark for two of his previous three seasons. Jauan Jennings has 132 receptions for 1,618 yards and 15 touchdowns during the past two years.

It’s safe to say there are no slouches in Minnesota’s wide receiver room.

“I got a lot of respect for the other receivers,” coach Jeff Hafley said. “I was in that division for two years. I think Addison is one of the most underrated and undertalked about wide receivers in the league, and sometimes that happens when you have one of the top players in the league. I think Addison’s really good. And then Jennings, I remember him from San Francisco. I think that was a great pickup. I love the way he plays. He’s a physical wideout. He blocks, he’s strong. He’s good catch-and-run. He probably doesn’t get as much attention as he should be.”

That’s why, more than anything else, cornerback coach Jahmile Addae just wants to see his guys “compete” during the next couple of weeks.

“We play the game for a reason and that’s to let the chips fall where they may,” Addae said. “I’ve been raised and a cut the way where you’re going to compete and that’s just going to be it. And if I’m not the better man on that day, then that happens to be that and I’ll tip my cap, but we’re always going to go about our business the way we know how and try to offer some consistency to our guys that we feel will help them grow.”

Read more Dolphins’ Hafley assesses loss to Vikings and where things stand at 0-4

Luckily, this won’t be their first matchup against an elite receiver. The Dolphins held the San Francisco 49ers’ Mike Evans to three catches for 54 yards in Week 2. There were several lessons that Chris Johnson learned that would greatly benefit him during the next two games.

“I really just learned that all receivers are different,” Johnson said. That might sound obvious, yet for a young cornerback who has simply dreamed about the position that he’s in now, it’s a worthwhile lesson. Evans, in fact, plays the game very differently than a Jefferson or a Chase. The key is to know the skill set of each elite receiver and expect them to do just that. “He uses his size. He isn’t something that he isn’t if that makes sense. He’s big and he uses his size; he’s not a big guy that wants to dance around and stuff.

“Just being able to understand and flip my mind-set to ‘now I’m playing against a shiftier receiver or a more physical receiver” will be important, Johnson continued.

It’s also why Johnson — along with Brents and Jason Marshall Jr. — have embraced the challenge ahead.

“That’s what separates the best from the good,” Johnson said. ”Man, if you want to be the best, you got to go against the best.”

The next few games won’t be easy. It never is with a team that has as much youth as the Dolphins.

Read more Broncos star CB Pat Surtain II injures ankle in loss to 49ers

So take a seat, strap in and get ready for some fireworks.

This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 6:00 AM.