MIAMI GARDENS ― The topic of conversation was outside cornerback versus nickel cornerback and whether the latter can be considered a premium position in the NFL in 2026.
“Witherspoon,” Miami Dolphins rookie corner Chris Johnson said, referring to Seahawks star corner Devon Witherspoon. “He plays both and he goes back and forth and he’s the second highest-paid corner in the league.”
So that would seem to settle it.
For anyone who has said of Chris Johnson: “How could the Dolphins use a first-round draft pick on a cornerback and then play him at nickel?” we present the case of Witherspoon and Johnson.
The Dolphins (0-4) host the Bengals (2-2) on Sunday Oct. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium (1 p.m., Fox) and most attention this season, deservedly so, has been on Miami’s rookies.
Guard Kadyn Proctor, cornerback Chris Johnson, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and receivers Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, in particular, are all off to very promising starts.
The Dolphins have needed an elite corner since the departure of players like Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard.
Johnson has the potential to be elite. But what makes him especially unique is that, like the Seahawks star Witherspoon, he splits his time almost evenly between outside corner and nickel, also known as slot.
“I think there’s some packages where (Johnson’s versatility) hides him a little bit, and he’s always on the field, and they might not know where he is going to be,” Miami coach Jeff Hafley said of an advantage.
Through four weeks, Johnson has played outside 103 snaps and inside 97 snaps.
“Oh, really?” Johnson said, when told about the almost-even numbers.
Through three-plus seasons, the Seahawks’ Witherspoon has played outside 1,190 snaps and inside 1,311 snaps.
About even.
Chris Johnson and Devon Witherspoon an intriguing comparison
The way it works is this: When the opponent has two receivers on the field, Johnson and Witherspoon play outside.
When the opponent goes to three receivers, Jason Marshall and JuJu Brents play outside for Miami and Johnson slides to cover the inside receiver in the slot.
“I really do believe that, and we’ve seen it the last two weeks, he’s really good inside,” Hafley said of Johnson. “I mean, he is physical and how physical he was with those wideouts last week, who I thought were good blockers and had a lot of respect for, and he blitzed a couple times off the edge, which forced some really bad throws.”
In the last two games, against Kansas City and Minnesota, Johnson has allowed only 4 targets, 3 catches, 7 yards.
“It doesn’t really matter to me whether they throw the ball at me or not,” Johnson said. “You know, I like us to be able to get off the field and lock it down as a defense.”
Not targeting a rookie is a sign of respect, however.
NFL teams are using three-receiver formations more than ever. And so having Johnson able to play both spots is very valuable. As Hafley explained, it can also eliminate “tells” to the offense, such as man or zone.
It must be said there that asking any rookie to learn two positions prior to his first NFL game is a big ask.
“Chris is really smart,” Dolphins safety Dante Trader said. “We all talk about his athleticism, his versatility, but Chris is really, really smart. It’s like an extension of a safety out there. Like the ability to adjust with the motions, play corner and nickel, playing those two different extremes, playing inside and outside, having the confidence to be able to do that.”
Outside cornerback and slot/nickel/inside cornerback are two completely different positions, as Trader explains. That’s an interesting way to look at it.
“I think that’s hard to do as a rookie and I told you guys since the beginning, I knew he had it in him,” Hafley said. “We need to still coach and develop him and he needs to continue to work but I think if you can get a guy that can do both in this day and age…”
It’s a big advantage.
The Bengals bring star quarterback Joe Burrow to town.
“He put the ball in spots that you think he wouldn’t be able to,” Johnson said.
And Burrow may or may not have star receivers Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) and/or Tee Higgins (groin/adductor muscle) available.
Miami Dolphins secondary vs. Cincinnati Bengals receivers
Johnson possesses instincts and toughness.
“Chris is like – he’s a physical corner,” Dolphins edge rusher Josh Uche said. “That’s what you want to see out of a corner, but most corners in the league don’t want to come up and be physical.
Rookie safety Michael Taaffe revealed Johnson to be a sneaky good trash-talker.
“Y’all should write about how competitive Chris is,” Taaffe said. “If you watch when he gets off blocks, I don’t know what he says, but he has a little feist to him. He’s competitive. That’s what I’ve always loved about him, the competitiveness that Chris has.”
Johnson is 6-foot-196, average size for an NFL cornerback. But he is fearless. He is not afraid to take on any assignment the Dolphins give him, including dividing snaps between two completely different positions.
“Really just playing for my keys and seeing what my eyes tell me,” Johnson said. “By no means am I out there playing scared or playing cautious.”
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Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Threads and Instagram and X at @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins CB Chris Johnson splits snaps like star Devon Witherspoon