The Miami Dolphins did some work this offseason to improve their secondary, as they traded a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The acquisition pairs Ramsey with another former All-Pro in Xavien Howard, who is coming off of one of his worst seasons since entering the NFL back in 2016. However, Howard did mention that he spent 2022 dealing with multiple groin injuries which could’ve hampered his play.
Miami’s cornerback duo appears to be one of the best in the league entering the 2023 season. In fact, former All-Pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie recently listed Ramsey and Howard as two of the league’s top-five cornerbacks.
Antonio Cromartie (@CRO31) knows a thing or two about playing cornerback..
The former All-Pro gives me his top five corners, including four guys within the same division: pic.twitter.com/375TYGzav1
— Chancellor Johnson (@ChancellorTV) May 22, 2023
Interestingly enough, two of his other picks were Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed of the New York Jets, meaning the AFC East would have four of his top picks at the position. That’s a lot of defensive talent on just two teams that will face each other twice a year.
If Howard and Ramsey are healthy for a full year, and coached by one of the most well-respected coordinators in the game in Vic Fangio, they should be among the NFL’s top units for 2023.