‘A big relief’: Injuries in the Dolphins’ receiver room means Erik Ezukanma must step up
Erik Ezukanma has waited patiently for his opportunity.
After what many considered the best catch of the 2022 preseason, the Texas Tech product was a healthy scratch for most of his rookie year. A neck injury then limited Ezukanma to just the first two games of the 2023 season. But after not playing in the first preseason game, the fourth-round pick exploded with five catches for 65 yards in the Miami Dolphins’ 13-6 win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday.
“It was a big relief honestly,” Ezukanma said Tuesday afternoon, later adding that he had been “waiting since week two of last year against the [New England] Patriots.”
This week is of utmost importance to players like Ezukanma. With the 53-man roster deadline Aug. 27, Ezukanma must now compete for a spot in what was once a crowded receiver room. Injuries to River Cracraft, Braylon Sanders, Odell Beckham Jr., Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, who wore a protective brace on his right hand and didn’t catch any balls during Tuesday’s practice, however, have significantly increased Ezukanma’s chances.
“With camp this year, opportunities for different guys at different positions you can see, they’re maximizing it,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Tuesday morning. He specifically singled out both 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington and Ezukanma for having a “good camp” as well as the latter’s production against the Commanders. “And at wide receiver, the next couple days will be really great opportunities for the guys to show what they can do.”
“It’s really important,” Ezukanma said of this week with the Aug. 27 deadline just around the corner. “Being out, it was tough but coming back, being able to wrap my arms around younger guys and listen to the vets and just knowing that, when the cuts happen, some guys, you won’t see again, taking every opportunity and taking all the moments in.”
Ezukanma has embraced the opportunity.
“With injuries, I know guys are fighting to get back,” Ezukanma said, “but in general, [the mindset is] next man up. You got to be able to go in and operate at any given position.”
Ezukanma led both teams in targets, receptions and yards on Saturday. Two plays during the third quarter showcased his athleticism. The first came right before 14:30 mark when he was handed off the ball on an end around to left, spun off a tackle and reversed the field for a six-yard gain.
It was “really just instinct,” Ezukanma said of his field reversal. “I feel like I’ve been doing that since peewee. Usually DBs don’t really want to tackle. When they wrap you up, they wrap you up to make sure that the big guys come and finish you off but I just spun and I was able to get out of it and run the grass.”
The second was a 35-yard bomb courtesy of Mike White that Ezukanma caught on third down to put the Dolphins in the redzone.
“Being able to go in there in the second half and touch the ball early and get it going, I appreciate Mike doing that and setting our offense in the right position,” Ezukanma said.
His performance Saturday even earned praise from coach Mike McDaniel.
“How cool is it from my vantage point some of the opportunities that Erik Ezukanma was able to really showcase his talents,” McDaniel said Monday, later adding “There’s so many people to evaluate and this is such a tough roster to make. You do appreciate some clarity with some of those battles when you do have injuries in positions really.”
After an up and down start to his NFL career, Ezukanma admitted to having to battle “self-doubt” about his play. Saturday, however, gave him a much needed confidence boost – as did his better understanding of McDaniel’s offense.
“You’re always battling with voice in the back of your head but at the end of the day, your teammates believe in you and your coaches believe in you and when you know they believe in you and when they talk highly of you, that only just gives you confidence,” Ezukanma said.
Added Ezukanma: “It’s night and day. To just listen and hear the plays over and over again, it just gets easier and easier to know the concepts, know what the offense is supposed to and what we’re trying to attack.”
