Dolphins assistant on why a training camp standout hasn’t played in first two games
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were stars in training camp and to no surprise have led the Dolphins’ wide receivers through two games of the NFL season.
However, another training camp standout, rookie Erik Ezukanma, has been a healthy scratch in both games. His position coach Wes Welker gave insight Thursday as to why the fourth-round pick has been inactive.
“At the end of the day, when you’re talking about fourth, fifth, sixth receivers on the roster, you’ve got to be able to play all three positions,” Welker said. “You’ve got to be able to play all three positions. ... To be able to plug and play guys and not lose a beat, not sit there and be nervous as a coach or anything else, it’s a huge learning process, being able to learn all these different positions week in and week out.
“It’s not the same plays every week, like at Texas Tech. It’s not hand signals on the sidelines. These are long calls. It’s a process. He’s preparing as if he’s playing, and he needs to continue to do that. I think over time we know what kind of talent he is. But again, we’ve got to keep everybody accountable when it comes to out there on the field.”
In three preseason games, Ezukanma led the Dolphins with 10 receptions and 156 yards and was one of five receivers who made the 53-man roster. However, Ezukanma has been inactive in favor of River Cracraft, who has been elevated from the practice squad twice and recorded his first career touchdown catch in the Dolphins’ Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Waddle and Hill lead the team in wide receiver snaps with 97 and 94, respectively. Cedrick Wilson Jr. (50), Trent Sherfield (46) and Cracraft (26) round out the rest of the position group.
Ezukanma told the Miami Herald last week that he spent most of training camp learning the Z position but in recent weeks has been learning the F position.
“Cedrick [Wilson] is the starting F and he doesn’t have a main backup,” Ezukanma said. “F is one of the hardest positions to learn. The F is the adjuster who moves inside or outside. I was playing [only] Z in preseason.”
Wilson was limited in Wednesday’s practice with a lingering toe injury, as well as a rib injury he sustained in the win over the Ravens. He wore a red, noncontact jersey and his availability for Sunday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills is uncertain.
If Wilson is unable to play, Ezukanma could make his NFL debut.
“[Ezukanma] just needs to continue to put in the work and understand that it is a process,” Welker said. “When he’s ready, we’ll know he’s ready. But we love his skill set, we love the way he’s gone about his business. It does take time and I’ve gone through it with a lot of rookies who have had to play too early. It’s hard. It’s really tough. It’s hard on the coach. It’s hard on the staff. It’s hard on the player. And right now we don’t have to do that. So, we’re not going to do that until we feel comfortable with him being able to execute the way we need him to execute.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 12:03 PM.
