One strength — and a question — for each member of the Dolphins’ draft class
In a little more than a week, Dolphins rookies — their four draft picks and approximately dozen undrafted free agent signings — will assemble at the team’s practice facility for their three-day rookie minicamp. It will be the first time coaches see a bevy of players they coveted throughout the draft process. And it marks the beginning of their development, as the coaching seeks to accentuate strengths and mask weaknesses.
Here is one strength — and a key question — for each member of the Dolphins’ 2022 draft class:
LB Channing Tindall
▪ Strength: Blitzing.
Tindall didn’t make a single start in his four-year career at Georgia but was a key part of a record-setting defense in 2021. His sideline-to-sideline speed has been well documented, and he used that 4.47 40-yard dash speed just as well blitzing. Despite playing a limited percentage of the defensive snaps next to fellow draft picks Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, Tindall finished with 5.5 sacks, which ranked tied for fourth on the team.
Take the SEC Championship Game and National Championship Game against Alabama, for example. Tindall blitzed from everywhere: middle linebacker, outside linebacker, and even the slot. It’s not hard to envision defensive coordinator Josh Boyer finding an early role for Tindall in the team’s exotic blitz packages.
▪ Question: Can that speed translate to being effective in pass coverage?
Along with his inexperience, the one knock on Tindall during the draft process was his ability in coverage. Many young inside linebackers struggle with this and it will probably be the biggest test for Tindall at the next level. To his credit, Pro Football Focus gave him an 81.9 pass coverage grade, which ranked second among SEC linebacker. Tindall will have to harness his speed and master route combinations to be the three-down linebacker general manager Chris Grier envisions.
WR Erik Ezukanma
▪ Strength: Playing through contact
If you search for Ezukanam’s name on draft website Mockdraftable, you will see that the fourth-round pick’s measurables strongly compare to DeVante Parker, the longtime Dolphin who was traded to the New England Patriots last month. And the selection of Ezukanma drew further comparisons to Parker with his ability to bring down contested catches; according to PFF, he recorded 20 contested catches in the past two years. But Ezukanma also brings a more diverse skill set that could fit better in coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. Ezukanma got touches in college out of the backfield and on screens and while he’s not a blazer — he ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at his Pro Day — he forced 34 missed tackles the last three seasons. Wide receiver was not atop the Dolphins’ needs entering the draft but Ezukanma could be another versatile player in McDaniel’s offense.
▪ Question: Can he work his way into the offense in Year 1?
On paper, there are six players who figure to be a bigger part of the offense that Ezukanma when the season starts: fellow wideouts Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson, tight end Mike Gesicki and running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. When you also count the number of two-tight end sets and formations with fullback Alec Ingold the Dolphins will have, Ezukanma likely slots as a special teams-exclusive player before getting significant snaps on offense. Several draft experts also said Ezukanma’s route running could use work and with throwing windows tighter in the NFL, that should be a priority for him and wide receivers coach Wes Welker. Ezukanma is a talented player with the ball in his hands, though, and McDaniel will find opportunities for him if he shows he’s ready for it.
LB Cameron Goode
Strength: Athleticism.
When NFL teams get to the late rounds of the draft, they’re often drafting for traits — size, speed, etc. — that they can possibly develop. Goode’s Relative Athletic Score (RAS), a measurement of a player’s athletic testing in relation to both size and historic results, was a 9.45 out of 10. This ranked 133rd out of 2,419 linebackers from 1987 to 2022. The athleticism shows up for Goode not only as a pass rusher but in coverage, where he recorded two interceptions in college, both returned for touchdowns. Expectations won’t be high for Goode as a seventh-round pick but he projects as a player who will be a fixture on special teams and could work his way into the defensive rotation.
Question: Can he find his way onto a talented and deep defense?
The only thing that prevented Goode’s RAS from being even higher was his size and strength. He weighed in at 232 pounds, which draft experts question might limit his ability to defend the run effectively. The Dolphins defense finds niche roles for talented players, and Goode should be no different, with his profile suggesting he could provide upside as a speed pass rusher or in coverage.
QB Skylar Thompson
Strength: Intangibles
The selection of Thompson in the seventh round was the biggest surprise of the draft weekend for the Dolphins since the team has an unquestioned starter in Tua Tagovailoa and an unquestioned backup in Teddy Bridgewater. The Dolphins stuck to their board and best-player-available philosophy, though, which led them to Thompson, a player whom Grier and McDaniel were drawn to be because of his competitiveness and experience, particularly in high-stakes games. Thompson, a four-year team captain, made 40 starts at Kansas State, which included a pair of wins over top-five programs in 2019 and 2020 and then a standout performance against LSU in the Texas Bowl that earned him MVP honors.
Question: Can he make the 53-man roster as a third quarterback?
Most teams keep two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster so Thompson faces an uphill battle to remain on the roster through training camp. But he’ll work with the Dolphins throughout the summer and he has the benefit of having played in a West Coast-based offense at Kansas State, similar to the one McDaniel is implementing. Best case scenario, Thompson impresses the coaches enough to keep him as a third passer. If not, the team will likely try to get him through waivers and re-sign him to the practice squad to continue his development, just like with Reid Sinnett last season.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 11:54 AM.
