Dolphins Surprises

There have been some pleasant surprises for the Miami Dolphins in 2022. Miami sits with a 7 and 3 record as they enjoy their bye week. There is a lot of optimism building up around this year’s team. That optimism has spread to the fans!

Surprises for Dolphins Fans

Injuries to anyone are never a good thing. Yet, we all know that injuries are an inevitable part of football. At times, injuries to starters can rock a team off its high perch. Every so often, surprises can arise from a bad situation. The Miami Dolphins’ secondary was hit hard with injuries. But, some surprises stepped up to help the team.

Kader Kohou tops my list of pleasant surprises for the 2022 Dolphins. Kohou is a rookie that went undrafted. Seven rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft passed without Kohou’s name being called. This is proof that evaluating football talent is not an exact science by any means. Due to injuries to others, Kohou was thrust into lots of playing time in his rookie season.

Surprises can be a good or bad thing, but for the Dolphins Kohou, it has been an awesome thing. I’m sure Kohou is not surprised by his high level of play. But, it has been great for Miami without a doubt! Kohou not only filled in but has emerged as a starting-caliber cornerback. The undrafted rookie according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks in the top 25 (23rd) of all cornerbacks. PFF also shows that Kohou has allowed the 11th-lowest passer rating against him so this season.

Kohou has been a surprise for the Dolphins in his run defense as well. He is a solid tackler that is not afraid to come up to hit running backs running full steam ahead.

Offensive Line

One of my favorite surprises for the Dolphins this season has been the play of their offensive line as a unit. As the season has progressed, you can see the improvement in pass protection. The line has been giving good protection for Tua Tagovailoa over the past few weeks. Miami has been showing hints of improving in the running game as well due to the improved line. It is tough to single out anyone as a single surprise along the line. Because outside of Terron Armstead and Robert Hunt there were a lot of unknowns along the offensive line to start the season.

Yes, Connor Williams was a known quality player when the Dolphins signed him via free agency. Williams had been a guard though throughout his career. Miami quickly moved him to the center position. After some initial snapping issues in shotgun formation, Williams has emerged as one of the top centers in the game. His play has helped the entire line.

But, I’m sticking to my guns and saying the whole offensive line is on the list of cool surprises for the Dolphins.

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