JuJu Brents is back on the field for the Miami Dolphins, and that alone gives their secondary a badly needed lift.
Miami claimed the cornerback off waivers from Indianapolis a day after the Colts let him go during the 2025 preseason, and the 26-year-old has already flashed the kind of traits that can change how a defense looks when he’s healthy. That’s the big qualifier, of course. Brents’ career has been defined as much by availability issues as by upside, and the Dolphins know they’re dealing with a player whose ceiling is tied directly to his ability to stay on the field.
Head coach Jeff Hafley made it clear what stands out when Brents is right.
"Throughout his career, he's dealt with injuries, so we need to see him play consistently and be available," Hafley said. "If you just look at him as a corner, he's got incredible size and length for that position.
And you combine his size and his length with his foot speed and the ability to transition, and he's a physical guy who will tackle; he looks the part, right? And I've seen flashes of it."
That profile is easy to see. Brents checks in at 6-3 and 203 pounds, making him tied as the tallest corner on Miami’s roster alongside Miles Battle, who signed with the Dolphins in February after stints with Kansas City and New England. For a secondary that has been stretched thin, that kind of frame matters.
The flashes have shown up, too. One of the clearest examples came in Miami’s win over Buffalo last season, when Brents matched up with Keon Coleman and held his own while finishing with five solo tackles, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery. That game offered a reminder of why the Dolphins took a shot on him.
Brents says the fit has been encouraging as he settles into Hafley’s defense.
"I like our style of play," Brents said. "There are little things we've got to clean up on, like our technique.
Our communication could be a little bit better, but the style of play has been there. Everybody is dealing with something.
So just being able to come out here consistently and keep straining, I think that was a good thing. Now we just got to be able to pick up on the details and be consistent."
That consistency has been missing from Miami’s preseason work. The secondary has struggled against Washington and the New York Giants, allowing 417 passing yards and watching Jameis Winston carve it up for 150 yards in the first half.
The group is still being shuffled, too. Miami added Jai'Onte' McMillan off waivers from Indianapolis on August 22 and waived Ahmari Harvey two days later.
For now, Brents and Jason Marshall Jr are listed as the starting corners on the initial depth chart, with first-round pick Chris Johnson set at nickel. Brents sounds energized by what Johnson brings, especially for a young player already stepping into a major role.
"I think we complement each other really well," Brents said. "He's a little bit more of a compact type of defender, and I'm a longer guy.
But I had some of those same tangibles. He just comes out and competes every single day.
It ain't going to always be pretty. He's a competitor.
I think he does do a good job of just being keen on his details, like using the right techniques at the right time."
The question hanging over all of it is the same one Brents has carried through his career: can he stay healthy? His injury history is long for a player this early in his NFL run.
In 2023, he dealt with a pre-draft wrist injury that required surgery, a hamstring injury in training camp and a quadriceps injury that cost him six games. In 2024, he suffered a broken nose in the preseason, then a torn meniscus and MCL in Week One that wiped out most of the season, along with a groin injury in the finale.
In 2025, a hamstring issue lingered through the summer before a right foot injury against Washington in Week 11 ended his season and required surgery.
Brents said he has had to rethink how he handles those setbacks.
"I think when I had injuries in the past, I would try to rush myself to get back too fast," Brents said. "Obviously, you want to get back at the right time, so it's a fine balance with that, right?
You want to come back smartly and as soon as possible, but just listen to the trainers. So it's been good out here."
If Brents can finally put together a full season, the payoff could be enormous. He and Chris Johnson have a chance to give Miami a high-end cornerback pairing for 2026 and beyond, and that would be a strong place to start for a defense trying to become something more.
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