Miami Dolphins’ third-round pick is as much about the future as it is the present
In Round 3, the Miami Dolphins made a pick that’s as much about 2022 as it is about 2021.
They took Boston College tight end Hunter Long, a big, athletic pass catcher who might remind people of Mike Gesicki.
Which is probably no coincidence. Gesicki is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and if he continues playing at the level he has the past two seasons, is going to get paid.
So perhaps the Dolphins are hedging against the possibility an extension won’t get done.
And it didn’t hurt that Long and Brian Flores are Boston College Eagles.
“I had no say in the pick,” Chris Grier joked late Friday.
Added Flores: “He’s a typical Boston College player: Tough. Smart. Team first.”
And also productive.
Long averaged 14.6 yards per catch in his three seasons at BC, going for 685 yards and five touchdowns on 57 receptions in 2020.
The Dolphins selected Long over a number of talented players who filled more immediate needs, including running backs Michael Carter and Trey Sermon as well as center Quinn Meinerz.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had this to say prior to the draft about Long:
“A two-year starter at Boston College, Long was a high-volume target tight end in offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti’s pro-style scheme, lining up inline and detached. After sharpening his blocking skills his first three years in Steve Addazio’s power-run offense, his pass-catching skills were highlighted with the new coaching staff (and transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec) in 2020; he rarely left the field and led the nation in receptions among tight ends. Long is a quarterback’s best friend with his field sense, focus in traffic and the way he rescues errant throws. His coordinated footwork and body movements show both as a route-runner and blocker, but he can do a better job as a route salesman and sustain player. Overall, Long isn’t a dynamic athlete, but he is a functional blocker and smooth pass-catcher with the reliable hands to quickly earn the trust of his quarterback. He projects similar to an Austin Hooper-style tight end.
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 10:58 PM.
