Dolphins add ‘lockdown cornerback’ with Noah Igbinoghene in first round

The Miami Dolphins used their third first-round pick to select cornerback Noah Igbinoghene out of Auburn. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as cornerback was not seen as a top need for the Dolphins after adding cornerback Byron Jones in free agency to pair with Xavien Howard on the roster. Igbinoghene, however, gives Miami an immediate player to fill in as the nickel cornerback and should give the team a shutdown secondary.

SB Nation’s Cam Mellor wrote of Miami adding Igbinoghene:

Armchair general managers probably have never even heard of Igbinoghene, but that is no one’s fault but their own. Sure he didn’t have an interception a season ago at Auburn, but he was every bit of a lockdown cornerback for the Tigers.

Few are as athletic as Igbinoghene in this class but this pick puzzles me a bit with the amount of money the Dolphins have paid to the cornerback position this offseason. He’s a former wide receiver who can locate the ball at any level on the field. Add in his return skills, and he plugs in for a ton of snaps early in Miami.

While a surprise pick, it may be an exceptional pick for the Dolphins. Miami is back on the clock twice in the second round, beginning with the 39th overall selection.