The New England Patriots' path to reclaiming the AFC East just got a bit easier. Miami Dolphins starting cornerback Kader Kohou suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice this week, per Adam Schefter.
You never root for injuries in the NFL, but this news leaves one of the Patriots' biggest rivals with a glaring weakness in their secondary.
Patriots' lives get a little easier as Dolphins lose Kader Kohou
The Dolphins were already short on cornerbacks. After trading Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason, the position was a clear weak spot in their defense. Now, it might be the worst cornerback group in the NFL.
Kohou was solid for the Dolphins last season, producing two interceptions and earning a coverage grade of 68.9 from PFF. After the Ramsey trade, Kohou was expected to step up as the Dolphins' top cornerback.
Now, Miami is stuck with Storm Duck and a 31-year-old Mike Hilton as their starting outside cornerbacks. There's still time for them to bring in a free agent, but they won't be able to fully recover from losing Kohou.
Duck, a former undrafted free agent, struggled heavily in his rookie season. He allowed an opposing passer rating of 104 while giving up 10.6 yards per reception. Duck showed flashes of quality play, but he's far from being a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL.
Hilton was solid for the Cincinnati Bengals last year, but cornerbacks rarely maintain a high level of play past the age of 30. The cliff is going to come at some point for Hilton. If it comes this season, the Dolphins will be left without a starting-caliber cornerback on the roster.
If anybody benefits the most from this unfortunate news, it might be Drake Maye. Fans are hoping to see a breakout year from Maye in his second season, and he'll now have two games against an extremely weak secondary. Maye never hesitates to fit the ball into tight windows, but he may not have to make any heroic plays against the Dolphins this season.
Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams will be able to feast on these matchups, leaving Maye acres of space to throw into.
The Dolphins will have to move quickly to replace some of what they've lost at cornerback before the season starts. If they don't, the Patriots might as well pencil in victories in Week 2 and Week 18.