Kader Kohou enters Year 4 with the Dolphins looking at a changed landscape in the secondary.
Gone are safety Jevon Holland, departed to the Giants, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, sent to the Steelers in Monday's three-player trade. Safety Jordan Poyer is still a free agent after a one-year stint, as is CB Kendall Fuller following his release. Xavien Howard last played for the team in 2023.
What remains at cornerback is a collection of mostly young talent, a group Kohou wants to help shape into a positive.
"I have to step up and be leader in the room and show the younger guys how we want our unit to be, just like they did with me," Kohou said, via the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. "Jalen Ramsey, X [Xavien Howard], Jordan Poyer showed me the way. You don't always have to talk; you can lead by example.
"It's going to be a challenge. Being the oldest guy in the room, whether you want it or not, is a little weight on your shoulder because you have to show the other guys. It's not something I'm not prepared for."
Kohou isn't actually the oldest CB that Miami has -- for instance, Artie Burns is 30 and entering his 10th year in the league -- but the undrafted corner out of East Texas A&M is one of the longest-tenured members of the Dolphins at his position.
While there's still a veteran presence in the secondary overall, especially with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick coming back to Miami via the Ramsey trade, Kohou hopes to take the wisdom imparted by previous high-profile Dolphins cover men and spread it to the less experienced corners that might be called on to step up in 2025.
Such players include Storm Duck, Cam Smith, Jason Marshall Jr. and Ethan Bonner.
Duck and Bonner were both undrafted free agents like Kohou. Duck made the team in 2024 and logged three starts; Bonner has appeared in seven games over the past two seasons.
Despite being a 2023 second-round selection, Smith has been unable to crack the top of the depth chart. He's appeared in 21 contests without a start or interception to his name. Marshall, meanwhile, joins as a fifth-rounder from April's draft.
The more experienced corners include Burns and fellow free-agent signee Kendall Sheffield. While primarily a safety, Fitzpatrick also possesses the versatility to help out at CB in certain packages.
There could certainly be more veteran help on the way, either through a signing before training camp or while sorting through new options after cutdown day, but the aforementioned players currently make up the most notable corners Miami is carrying into the season.
Kohou has been the most successful of all the young guns. He's played in 47 games (38 starts) for Miami, and last year rebounded from a sophomore slump with 45 tackles, two interceptions, eight passes defensed and a forced fumble. His 68.9 PFF coverage grade -- 50th among cornerbacks -- suggests there's still a way for him to go, though, something he admits.
"I've get the ball back more, interceptions, make a lot more plays," Kohou said. "I had some last year but I left some on the field."
The Ramsey trade has left the Dolphins with some questions to answer at corner, but Miami's defense did rank ninth in passing yards allowed last season. There's a culture to take from, even if Kohou has to be the bridge to it.
Dolphins teams have also utilized lesser-known players to tremendous results before, namely the "No-Name Defense" during Miami's undefeated season in 1972.
That'd be a lofty mark to aim for, much less attain, but Kohou nonetheless feels an energy among the CB group capable of making a difference.
"We don't have a lot of high draft picks," he said. "You can feel the hunger in our room."
