Biggs: Rookie Smith impresses Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins were hoping one of their rookie cornerbacks would come along in training camp in time to be a starter on opening day.

The one making the most progress right now might not be the one they were expecting. Second-round pick Sean Smith was promoted to the first team today at right cornerback after a strong first week of training camp and big play in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage Sunday. Smith sniffed out a gadget play — a pass by wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. — for an interception in the end zone, the only turnover from the scrimmage.

APSean Smith

Meanwhile, Vontae Davis, the cornerback the Dolphins selected in the first round, didn’t do as well. Davis fell victim to a double move by wide receiver Brian Hartline to get beat for a touchdown pass by Chad Henne.

It’s still early, awful early, but Smith is showing the kind of instincts the Dolphins saw in him when they drafted him 61st overall out of Utah, the seventh cornerback chosen. He’s out to prove to the teams who were skeptical he could play cornerback at a shade over 6-3 and 214 pounds that it can be done. There’s a tendency for teams to take big corners and move them inside to safety, but no one disputes that Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha is the league’s best right now and he’s 6-2, 210. Smith reportedly has been showing good footwork, and his size will be a benefit against big receivers in the division like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Ultimately, the question will probably be whether he can turn and run with the smaller receivers.

Davis and Eric Green, the veteran from Arizona who was signed in free agency in the Dolphins’ move to revamp the secondary, figure to be in the mix for the nickel job now with Will Allen holding down left corner. All of it could change, of course, but Smith is drawing positive reviews quickly.

“I saw Sean make a nice play on the ball on the little throw-back pass that we had there and that is something he does pretty well,” coach Tony Sparano said after the scrimmage. “He's got outstanding ball skills. He's a long guy, so when the ball is in the air, he can get up and he can get it, and that's part of big corner big receiver.”

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