The Cam Smith clock is ticking.
Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the former South Carolina Gamecock hasn’t had the best start to his career. He barely played as a rookie while an injury limited him to just six games as a sophomore.
The subsequent trade of Jalen Ramsey, however, has seemingly opened the door at both boundary cornerback positions. And as Smith prepares for his third NFL season, it’s officially time for him to justify his draft position.
“Yes sir,” Smith responded when asked if he’s ready to be a 17-game starter. “Just going through the ups and downs of that come with the season and just having my foot in the door last year gave me the leeway to see all of that.”
People inside the organization and fans know it’s put-up-or-shut-up time for Smith. The second-rounder’s stats — 18 total tackles, 14 of which were solo — leave much to be desired. Considering that Garrett Williams, a corner taken less than two dozen picks after Smith, has secured the Arizona Cardinals’ starting spot for the near future.
That’s likely why Dolphins general manager Chris Grier issued a mandate courtesy around the time of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Cam Smith needs to come through at the end of the day,” Grier said in late April. “He’s got to stay healthy and be on the field. He has shown some flashes, but this is a very big year. He knows what’s expected because we can’t hold his hand and wait for him anymore.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel shared a similar sentiment when the team convened for organized training activities.
“I’ve said to the group a couple times, ‘I have a depth chart to fill out, can you help me out with it?’” McDaniel explained in late May. “But realistically, we’re far from establishing what that is at any position. Yes, there’s guys that are not going to get beaten out, but the biggest thing is I want people to show me who they are.”
To his credit, Smith has apparently responded to the call. He looked noticeably bigger during minicamp. He claims to worked heavily on his “eye discipline” during the offseason. And it appears that the pressure of being an early round selection no longer weighs on him.
“I felt it all,” Smith said. “I used to call my mom and stuff about it every day. Used to think — because I wasn’t playing and stuff — that I kinda was a failure.”
A combination of McDaniel and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, however, helped to lift him out of his funk.
“Coming into my second year, Mike instilling the same confidence in me and Weave coming in and doing the same thing last year just gave me that building block but just getting hurt was the thing last year,” Smith said.
Now fully healthy, the boundary cornerback position is Smith’s to lose. He has the highest pedigree out of anyone in the unit outside of 30-year-old Artie Burns, a first-round pick from the University of Miami in 2016. Although Smith lacks in experience, there’s a chance that he gets a shot barring a trade or signing.
“Look at the guys we got — what a great opportunity to step up because [Ramsey] was a starter that no longer [was] going to be here,” Dolphins cornerback coach Mathieu Araujo said. “Here’s an opportunity to go play ball. This is what every NFL player wants — opportunity — and here’s opportunity. We’re focused on their development, we’re focused on building that culture, we’re focused on the standard upholding every single day.”