Douglas DeFelice-USA Today Sports
Instant reaction: Dolphins draft CB Noah Igbinoghene
Following the selections of Tua Tagovailoa and Austin Jackson, the Dolphins closed out their trifecta of first-round picks by taking cornerback Noah Igbinoghene from Auburn University.
Based on most pre-draft rankings, this was a bit of a surprising move because Igbinoghene usually had a second-round grade.
The Dolphins sent a large contingent when Auburn conducted its Pro Day before the coronavirus pandemic eliminated all pro days leading up to the 2020 NFL draft.
Igbinoghene has a terrific athlete whose father and mother both competed in the Olympics in track for the country of Nigeria.
For the Dolphins, the selection of Igbinoghene is another piece to a secondary that got a major boost in free agency with the signing of top-level cornerback Byron Jones.
In addition to adding depth at cornerback, Igbinoghene should find himself competing for the nickel corner job with Jamal Perry, who played last season under the name of Jomal Wiltz.
The Dolphins also have Bobby McCain with nickel corner experience, though he spent last season at safety.
The bottom line is the addition of Igbinoghene just gives the Dolphins secondary more depth.
The Dolphins will head into the second night of the draft with two picks in the second round (39th and 56th overall) and one in the third.
Heading into Round 2, the areas of need for the Dolphins would appear to be running back, safety, maybe another offensive lineman, edge rusher, and off-the-ball linebacker.
The selection of Igbinoghene didn't necessarily fill a pressing need, but it should make the Dolphins better anyway.
