With the 30th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins surprised with their decision to draft a cornerback versus an interior offensive lineman or a running back or a wide receiver — taking on another player at arguably their deepest position on the roster before they made the pick. But that strength didn’t prevent Miami from drafting Noah Igbinoghene out of Auburn anyway.
Igbinoghene, who is the NFL’s youngest player, has been since thrust in to the spotlight by the Dolphins thanks to a groin injury to star cornerback Byron Jones. And in the 12 quarters that have been played since, Igbinoghene has frequently popped up for all of the wrong reasons — whether it be giving up big plays to Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs in man coverage or his inexplicable jump down out of deep third coverage just before half against Seattle — a mistake that allowed WR David Moore to get behind the defense and assist in Seattle going the length of the field in 21 seconds to break open a 10-9 lead just before half.
His play hasn’t been good. There’s no working around that fact. But before the questions come about his qualifications, let’s all keep the perspective that the Dolphins didn’t draft Igbinoghene to play as one of their feature players in the secondary this season. They clearly felt that Igbinoghene has the physical and mental ability to be a centerpiece in the future, but not even Miami wanted to put him in this position as a rookie.
That doesn’t make him a bad pick. It doesn’t mean he’s a “bust” and it doesn’t mean that Dolphins GM Chris Grier has dropped the ball. Because Miami drafted him with the intention of him playing behind Xavien Howard and Byron Jones in the secondary. What we’re seeing now is akin to when teams move one starter on the offensive line to play a different spot due to an injury and end up downgrading both positions on the unit: it isn’t an ideal coaching move but you have to grin and bear it. Or, alternatively, Miami could keep Igbinoghene in his best position for success as a rookie defender who has only played two years of defense (he was a wide receiver his freshman year at Auburn) and play someone else like Nik Needham on the outside.
But based on Needham’s play over the past few weeks, that decision doesn’t seem to be any more attractive either, so Miami’s on the right track with betting on the more physically talented player and letting him find his footing.
In a lot of ways, Noah Igbinoghene personifies the Miami Dolphins as a team right now. They’re young, raw and inexperienced; and while they’re both oozing with potential, Week 4 proves that they’ve got a long way to go.