Miami added Cameron Dantzler in a bid to fortify its cornerback room ahead of final cuts, joining four veteran signings aimed at stabilizing a thin group after injuries to Kader Kohou and Artie Burns. The Dolphins’ corner corps now features Dantzler alongside Mike Hilton, Jack Jones and Cornell Armstrong, with Storm Duck, Cam Smith, Kendall Sheffield and Jason Marshall Jr. among the contenders for Week 1 roles. Dantzler’s track record in Minnesota—37 games and 26 starts with 3 interceptions—gives Miami a proven option as it navigates the 90-man to 53-man transition.

In the same week, Miami also announced Matthew Judon in a surprising move, waived Tarik Black and Ryan Stonehouse to free roster space, and pressed ahead with a preseason evaluation that has Ethan Robinson, undrafted cornerback from Minnesota, and several other youngsters in the mix. The competition centers on who can form the first and second teams at cornerback as the Aug. 26 deadline looms, while the Lions and Hooker provide a parallel preseason storyline that underscores the urgency of depth at the position for fantasy managers monitoring Miami’s defensive rotations.

The Dolphins face a plain truth: the cornerback group is far from anchored, and the August chatter about fixes isn’t hiding the depth gap. With Ramsay’s status in flux and no single alpha to pair with him, the Shortsighted fix-it attempts (Howard signing, Kohou’s emergence, Dantzler’s low-profile swing) shape the early-season plan. McDaniel’s upbeat tone contrasts with scouts’ blunt verdicts about the current CB room, highlighting a path where development and depth must carry the load for a big-play offense from the edge.

Key names surface as potential difference-makers: Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard at the top of the depth chart, then Kohou and Storm Duck in the mix, with Cameron Dantzler added as a long-shot bet. The absence of a true lockdown guy means opponents will test the Dolphins in the pass game, especially early in the schedule with Josh Allen circling Buffalo and a draft-to-depth approach that relies on younger corners stepping up. The overarching theme: there’s clay to mold, but the ceiling depends on how quickly the depth comes together under pressure.

Miami’s 2025 arc is a pivot from win-now to youth-driven development, but the two Lions practices exposed a mixed bag. The Dolphins’ front seven looks like a true strength—Zach Sieler, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson are delivering punch, with Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson spiking run fits and pass coverage. Yet the offense still feels one dimensional in some red-zone looks, with Alexander Mattison’s neck injury thinning the power run game and De’Von Achane feeling the squeeze of inside runs that demand that power. Tua Tagovailoa’s continued growth remains a sticking point, and depth across the OL, backups and the corner rotation adds plausible wobbles. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle remain the spark, but the 12-game streak without a 100-yard game against playoff foes lingers as a fantasy caution flag. The Dolphins open Sept 7 at Indy, and the test over the next three weeks will reveal if youth can grow into playoff resilience and a real chance at a deeper postseason run.

In this window, the Lions project as a playoff-caliber foil, highlighting a tough, physical path for Miami. If the run game can stabilize behind Achane with safer back-ups and if Kohou’s knee holds, Miami’s ceiling rises toward a more balanced attack and a more reliable fantasy profile across receivers who can soak up targets. The coaching staff’s philosophy shift toward youth could finally unlock upside from players like De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II, but it will require better depth at backup OL and QB beyond Zach Wilson to avoid late-season stalls. Fantasy managers should lean into Hill and Waddle as steady high-end options while monitoring Mattison’s replacement plan and Kohou’s health for shifts in pass coverage and run defense.