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Dolphins rookie Cam Smith allows long TD. "Trying to make a big play."

joe schad, palm beach post
·2 min read

JACKSONVILLE — In the third quarter on Saturday night, Jaguars receiver Tim Jones executed a double-move on Dolphins rookie cornerback Cam Smith en route to a 74-yard touchdown.

Jones hauled in the pass from C.J. Beathard and when he caught the ball, he already had at least five yards of separation on Smith, who had anticipated a shorter route and was left flat-footed.

"Just not reading my keys," Smith said after the game. "Trying to make a big play. Giving up some plays in the first half, I was trying to make a play. Read it too long with my eyes on the quarterback. He got on top of me."

Smith is a second-round pick and ideally he would start opposite Xavien Howard on Sept. 10 at the Chargers.

In that scenario, Kader Kohou could start inside.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Elijah Cooks (84) is tackled by Miami Dolphins cornerback Cam Smith (24) during the third quarter of a preseason matchup Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The game was suspended in the fourth after Miami Dolphins wide receiver Daewood Davis (87) was injured on a play with the Jaguars leading 31-18.

But it's not clear if veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio trusts Smith just yet.

We know this because that's exactly what Fangio recently said. Fangio noted that Miami can't afford to have Smith experience any "self-inflicted" wounds.

Well, on Saturday, that happened, and a 17-6 lead was suddenly 24-6.

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Overall, Smith had a good spring and summer.

He's athletic, instinctive and has made numerous pass break-ups, just as he did late in Saturday's game.

"A lot of ups and downs, like any rookie would," Smith said. "But I feel like just kind of learning from them, getting that time in there, and getting good at kind of the flow of the game."

Smith is returning from a shoulder injury and he said it felt, "OK."

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The Dolphins could use Kohou outside, opposite Howard, early in the season.

Or they could use Eli Apple or Noah Igbinoghene in some corner capacity, as well.

Smith feels good about his chances to contribute in two weeks, in an NFL game that counts.

"These games are gonna' prepare me for a lot of things," Smith said. "I'm gonna see a lot of different route concepts and stuff like that. So just kind of get into the film and what has to happen the week of actually preparing for a team."

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cam Smith of Dolphins allows a 74-yard touchdown. How ready is he to start?