With their 2nd pick in Round 5 the Dolphins finally addressed the CB position with the selection of Jason Marshall Jr out of Florida.

He will have a golden opportunity to get playing time this season as Miami is about to trade Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner, Storm Duck, and Kader Kohou are the only other CB’s on Miami’s roster with any experience.

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Outside cornerback with good size, athleticism and experience but too much inconsistency on tape. Marshall can disrupt the release from press and ride route turns to stay in position to defend the throw. He falls asleep against play-action and misdirection. Also, he has poor hands when it’s time to flip the field. For his size, he’s a disappointing tackler, especially in run support. The lack of urgency and determination Marshall shows on tape could hurt his stock.

Strengths

  • Possesses prototypical size for his position.
  • Big punch jolts receivers as a press defender.
  • Smooth movements to trace the route break.
  • Good knee-bend for fluid transitions.
  • Has size and strength to hinder catch space.

Weaknesses

  • Falls asleep against play-action and misdirection.
  • Left interceptions on the field because of poor catch coordination.
  • Doesn’t play with enough determination when he falls behind on a play.
  • Slips inside blocks and loses contain against wide runs.
  • Catches more contact that he delivers as a tackler.

The Draft Network Profile

Size: 

Height: 6003

Weight: 194

Arm: 30 ¼”

Hand: 9 ¼”

Accomplishments: 

Five-star prospect

“Jason Marshall Jr. is a highlight reel pass-breakup machine on the outside with great reactive athleticism.”

Strengths:

  • Athlete
  • Hip flip
  • Man coverage
  • Finds the football

Concerns:

  • Overcommits
  • Run defense
  • Zone comfort

Film Analysis: 

Jason Marshall Jr. is coming off back-to-back seasons starting 12 games for Florida’s defense while racking up 18 pass breakups, 10 in 2023, setting a career-high for Marshall. He’s an experienced defensive back who plays a few snaps at safety here and there. Entering his senior season, Marshall is looking to build off the production he’s set and put it all together.

 

While playing outside, Marshall is more comfortable in man coverage, where he can use his short-area footwork and hip-flip ability. He’s a patient corner who will be physical in the release and stem to stay in the hip pocket of receivers down and across the field. On top of routes, he shows good reactive athleticism and ball tracking to break up passes with well-timed swats and won’t give up if he gets behind on a play. Play recognition is still a work in progress, but when he sees underneath plays develop, he’s quick to click and close and make the tackle against receivers.

 

Marshall is a boom-or-bust player who will overcommit to release tactics from quick receivers and fall behind. He lacks the elite speed to catch up when stacked downfield, but he recovers well generally. He must work on punch timing against receivers to throw off release packages and stay in phase. While in zone, he will turn around 360 degrees to locate the receiver too often and can lose track of the route path; he seems more comfortable in man. For a corner that gets his hands on the ball as often as he does, he’s gotta start creating more turnovers. He only has two in his Florida career.

 

The big picture for Marshall is putting it all together and trusting his athletic gifts to recover in time. That’s when he’ll take the step to being a complete corner. In his senior year, he’ll have that opportunity.

Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter

Bleacher Report Profile

HEIGHT: 6’0″

WEIGHT: 194

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 30¼”

WINGSPAN: 74⅛”

40-YARD DASH: 4.49

VERTICAL: 37.5″

BROAD: 10’5″

POSITIVES

— Has good eye discipline, awareness and route recognition to help his teammates or successfully execute exchanges when pattern-matching in zone coverage.

— Understands how to use leverage to his advantage and uses leverage steps to maintain his spacing.

— Good speed to help avoid getting beat deep.

— Decent stop-start ability with solid short-area quickness and burst to help drive on routes.

— Solid change-of-direction skills to help stay in phase and sharp routes.

NEGATIVES

— Has some hip tightness, which makes him slower to turn and run when playing press coverage.

— Lacks the strength to affect wide receivers with his jam at the line of scrimmage.

— Gets caught being flat-footed in coverage.

— Struggles to stay in phase against bigger receivers who are physical at the top of the route.

— Not a willing run defender or tackler. Has a tough time getting off blocks from wide receivers and often tackles too high.

NOTES

— Born Sept. 6, 2002

— A 5-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2024 (Torn labrum in shoulders, season-ending surgery)

— Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll (2022, 2024)

OVERALL

Jason Marshall is a smart cornerback who can be effective in a zone coverage-heavy system. However, he shows some hip tightness and isn’t effective when playing press, which limits the amount of schemes he can be successful in.

Overall, Marshall is worthy of being a late-round pick and could add depth to a team’s cornerback room.

GRADE: 5.9 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 248

POSITION RANK: CB30

PRO COMPARISON: Damarri Mathis