Former 3rd-round pick Tankersley waived

The Miami Dolphins have parted ways with a former high draft pick who was unable to see the field the past two seasons.

Cornerback Cordrea Tankersley was waived by the Dolphins on Tuesday, ending his disappointing stint with the team, which began when it selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Tankersley, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a practice in November 2018 and did not play in 2019, was one of three players first listed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list July 27. He was removed from the COVID list before being released.

Tankersley serves as a cautionary tale for a Dolphins team that welcomes 11 rookie draft picks to training camp and will continue to use the draft to fuel its rebuilding process under coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier.

Tankersley, who won a national championship at Clemson in 2017, appeared in only 17 games for the Dolphins from 2017-18, which included 11 starts with seven pass deflections, 31 tackles and a tackle for a loss as a rookie.

While Tankersley worked toward a return to the field, Flores and his staff worked vigorously to boost their secondary before the 2020 season.

Although former Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard is out for the start of training camp while rehabbing from knee surgery, the Dolphins signed Byron Jones to the NFL’s richest contract for a cornerback — a five-year, $82.5 million deal — earlier this offseason.

The Dolphins also used their third of three first-round picks to draft rookie cornerback Noah Igbinoghene last April.

Also on the Dolphins roster and vying for playing time at cornerback and in the secondary this training camp are returning players Nik Needham, Jamal Perry, Nate Brooks, Tae Hayes and Ken Webster. In addition, Javaris Davis and Picasso Nelson Jr. were added to the roster in the past week.

As far as the Dolphins’ COVID-19 list, only three players — projected starting left guard Ereck Flowers, rookie running back Malcolm Perry and backup defensive tackle Zach Sieler — remain designated as players who either tested positive for COVID-19 or encountered someone who has.

Dolphins captain and linebacker Jerome Baker, long snapper Blake Ferguson, defensive tackle Benito Jones and Tankersley all appeared on the team’s list but have been removed in the past week.

Outside of the reserve/COVID-19 roster designation, NFL teams are not permitted to comment on a player’s medical status.

Earlier Tuesday, receiver Allen Hurns, citing concerns for the upcoming birth of his son, became the first Dolphins player or coach to opt out for the 2020 season. …

The Dolphins also waived long snapper Rex Sunahara on Tuesday.