How a Late Dolphins Veteran Addition Became Their Best

While the Miami Dolphins have taken a step back in 2025, one player has stepped up in a big way: cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Douglas, who was signed in late August after teams made their roster cuts to the 53-player limit, was thrown into a starting role after Storm Duck's injury in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Through six starts this season, Douglas has earned praise from both media and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

"You talk to a lot of coaches whenever you're inquiring about players, and I didn't talk to one that had a negative word to say about Rasul," Weaver said. "Consummate professional, knows all the ins and outs schematically of what you're trying to do, can play to -- if you want to say, yes -- deficiencies at this point in his career, but knows how to play within the scheme and use all that to advantage. So I love the guy, man. He is a leader, not necessarily by kind of walking and talking and saying all the right things, but just by his sheer professionalism. He's showing some of these young guys the pathway to play as long and have the success that he's had in this league."

Douglas has 30 total tackles, five passes defended, and a forced fumble. That kind of production in eight games is nothing to scoff at -- especially for player who had to prove himself as a late-summer addition.

Among 90 NFL cornerbacks with enough snaps to qualify for a Pro Football Focus grade, Douglas ranks a more than respectable 14th.

Douglas truly has been a great pick-up for a Dolphins team that has so many questions at cornerback after Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and projected starter Kader Kohou was lost early in training camp to a season-ending knee injury.

Douglas had by all measures a down year with the Buffalo Bills last year, but he's enjoyed a great resurgency in 2025, with his opponent passer rating when targeted going from an ugly 122.0 to a very respectable 86.0.

Douglas Dishes on Dolphins, His Performance

The former Super Bowl winner told reporters Tuesday that he had to make himself known for the players who had not seen his game.

"You always got to do that, especially with a new team," said Douglas, who was a member of the 2017 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles as a then-rookie third-round pick. " You want to kind of gain their respect and allow them to trust you the way you trust yourself. You always got to prove that."

For Douglas, strong play is not as satisfying as winning football games.

"We're 2-6, I don't think any of us are pleased," he said.

Spotlight

In their weekly power rankings, ESPN named Douglas as the Dolphins' best offseason acquisition.

"Douglas signed with the Dolphins just before the regular season and was thrust into a starting role after an injury to Storm Duck in Week 1," Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote. "Now that he has had two months to digest Miami's playbook, Douglas has stabilized the position for a defense that desperately needed it. He has been the Fins' most targeted defensive back but has allowed only one touchdown this season -- on a play in which Jets wideout Garrett Wilson had less than a yard of separation when the pass arrived."