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Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron (DB04) runs in the 40 yard dash during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Popular Pick Emerging for Dolphins

Originally posted on Miami Dolphins on SI | Last updated Apr 8, 2025 3:52 PM ET

Amid the countless mock drafts that have popped up this offseason, there are two that have caught our attention.

And the reason is they're from major national outlets, they feature the same player projected as the Miami Dolphins' choice with the 13th overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft, and they happen to hit on the team's biggest need at the moment.

The two mock drafts in question came from Chad Reuter of NFL.com and more recently Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN, and the player is cornerback Jahdae Barron.

Technically, Reuter's exercise wasn't so much a mock as it was a list of the ideal top two picks for each team, but we'll take some literary license here.

Something else Kiper and Reuter had in common was giving the Dolphins a second defensive player in Round 2, though Kiper projected Toledo DT Darius Alexander and Reuter had as his second ideal fit safety Xavier Watts from Notre Dame.

But the focus is on the first round, and the idea of the Dolphins selecting Barron makes all the sense in the world for the Dolphins, as we examined about a month ago.

Barron had an outstanding 2024 season, recording 10 pass breakups, five interceptions, 58 total tackles, and one sack. He was tasked with locking down half of the field for one of the best defenses in the nation this past season.

Barron’s NFL Combine Performance

Before diving into Barron’s fit with Miami, let’s look at his combine numbers. The Texas product didn’t win the weigh-in, as he’s a smaller cornerback.

He measured in at 5-10, 194 pounds with 29⅝-inch arms and a 73½-inch wingspan. All of those marks are below the 40th percentile for all cornerbacks since 1999. His arm length is the most concerning, ranking in the third percentile.

Barron needed to run well at his size, and he did. He ran the seventh-fastest time among cornerbacks at the event at 4.39 and had a respectable 10-yard split of 1.50 seconds. While the 40-yard dash gets most of the coverage, the 10-yard split is important for cornerbacks because it shows how quickly they can close throwing windows on shorter passes.

Barron’s performance drew a lofty comparison from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.

I like this comp

Jahdae Barron
5106
194
9 1/2 hand
29 5/8 arm
73 1/2 wing

Brian Branch
5115
190
9 1/2 hand
30 3/4 arm
75 1/4 wing
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 28, 2025

Barron’s overall combine won’t blow anyone away, but when paired with his stellar tape from Texas, it’s easy to see why he could be a player the Dolphins consider in the first round.

How Barron Fits in Miami

Barron is an excellent scheme fit for the Dolphins. The Longhorns used zone coverage 78.15 percent of their snaps this past season, which allowed Barron to keep his eyes in the backfield and come downhill to make plays on the ball.

Specifically, the Longhorns played a lot of Cover 3, which accounted for 39.5 percent of the team’s snaps in 2024. Cover 3 was the Dolphins’ most-run coverage this past season, as Miami used it on 29.6 percent of snaps.

There are always adjustments for rookies when they come to the NFL, but Barron fits in exactly with what Miami wants to do at a base level on the defensive side of the ball.

What makes Barron extra appealing to Miami is the versatility he could provide. Miami’s only cornerbacks under contract for next season are Jalen Ramsey, Storm Duck, Cam Smith, and Ethan Bonner. Kader Kohou is a restricted free agent, and Siran Neal is an unrestricted free agent.

Assuming the Dolphins retain Kohou, drafting Barron would give the Dolphins the option to play Kohou wherever he’s most comfortable. Kohou has bounced between outside and the slot throughout his career but played best outside last season.

With Ramsey, Kohou and Barron as the Dolphins’ top three cornerbacks, Miami would have three cornerbacks who can play outside and in the slot. As mentioned above, Barron’s size could be a problem against bigger receivers.

If the Dolphins play a team with a dominant tight end who lines up in the slot, they could move Ramsey inside and put Barron on the outside.

As we mentioned earlier, Barron has drawn some comparisons to Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch. Branch has been an excellent player for the Lions largely because of his versatility and physicality. He’s given the Lions great play at slot corner, free safety, and in the box.

Barron won’t play many snaps at free safety, but he can operate in the box. At Texas, Barron played at least 145 snaps in the box in his three seasons with the Longhorns. Branch played 226 snaps in the box for Detroit last season, which is probably more than Barron should be asked to play.

However, if you consider that Barron is a cornerback and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash compared to Branch’s 4.58, there’s an argument that Barron’s brand of versatility is more valuable than what Branch does for the Lions.

Defense is all about throwing different looks at opposing quarterbacks and being able to stop all types of receivers. Barron would allow Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to disguise coverages better and match up with just about any kind of pass catcher.