The Miami Dolphins made the surprising move of going cornerback with their first 2023 draft pick, taking South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith in the second round, pick No. 51, Friday night.

Smith (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) had six interceptions in his four-year career with the Gamecocks, leaving for the draft as a redshirt junior.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio gets a cornerback that could fit the zone-heavy coverages he’s looking to incorporate on the back end of Miami’s defense.

Selecting a cornerback was surprising given the Dolphins’ needs at tight end and on the offensive line.

Mammoth 6-foot-7 Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, a fan favorite, was available at Miami’s selection, but the Dolphins bypassed him. Florida standout guard O’Cyrus Torrence was also available.

Before Miami picked, the team watched potential draft targets in tight ends Sam LaPorta (Detroit Lions), Michael Mayer (Las Vegas Raiders) and Luke Musgrave (Green Bay Packers), offensive tackles Matthew Bergeron (Atlanta Falcons) and Cody Mauch (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and interior offensive linemen in Steve Avila (Los Angeles Rams) and Joe Tippmann (New York Jets) go off the board.

The Dolphins mostly made out well in watching the 31 first-round draft picks Thursday. Explosive Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who had been linked to Miami, proved well out of reach when the Detroit Lions took him at No. 12.

The Dolphins made their first draft selection in the middle of the second round Friday because they didn’t have a first-round pick. Their top selection was stripped from them due to tampering violations in past pursuit of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton. They also had a 49ers first-rounder from a previous trade that was dealt to the Broncos at last season’s trade deadline.

Miami has a third-round pick, No. 84 overall, remaining Friday. On Saturday, when Rounds 4 through 7 of the draft take place, they have sixth- and seventh-round choices.

This story will be updated.

()