The surprise with new Dolphins’ back Mattison. And Fitzpatrick, Hilton weigh in
A few quick hit Dolphins notes on a Monday:
▪ When Alexander Mattison joined the Dolphins in March, the thought was that he could be a panacea to the team’s short-yardage woes. Last season, he converted 12 of 16 attempts on third and fourth down when the Raiders needed 1 or 2 yards for a first down.
But Mattison might prove to be something more. He has displayed impressive burst and speed during the first week of camp, albeit without pads.
Mattison has had more “flash” runs than Jaylen Wright, who’s projected to be the No. 2 back, and rookie Ollie Gordon II, who’s competing with Mattison for carries.
“I’m a very versatile back,” Mattison said Monday, knowing he’s known for a “downhill… physical style.”
But he also wants to “show people I can do different things. I’m glad to be in an offense where I can showcase that. Not being a one-trick pony. I never [portray myself] as a speed guy, but it’s fun to push my limits and see how much I can flourish in an offense like this and kind of unlock some of that speed in my game.”
But his work in short yardage figures to be his biggest contribution.
The Dolphins converted just 55% of their third-and-1 rushing attempts last season, which was next to last in the league, and didn’t convert any of their three fourth-and-1 rushing attempts. In 2023, Miami converted only 7 of 14 third- and fourth-down runs when they needed only a yard for a first down.
Mattison, conversely, converted six of eight third- or fourth-down chances when his team needed 3 yards or fewer.
▪ Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said returning to the Dolphins feels “very nostalgic. We played here two seasons ago, and I remember pulling up to the stadium and walking on the field. I felt like I was back in time and now it’s the same feeling, just being back down here.
“Obviously, it’s a different [practice] facility — it’s a beautiful facility. A lot of the staff and trainers is the same, so it was almost like I just went back in time. It’s been fun. My family is down here, so it’s good to be back close to them.”
He said it’s also “fun” being teammates again with Tua Tagovailoa; they were Alabama teammates in 2017.
“It’s awesome just going to the sideline after a play and he’ll come up to me and ask me, ‘What happened there? What’d you see? Why’d you do this?’” Fitzpatrick said. “And I’ll do the same, vice versa. He had two great balls [Monday] and I’m going to go talk to him after this and be like, ‘What’d you see? How’d you know you could get…?’ Just being able to have that exchange is extremely beneficial for me.”
▪ How is the Fitzpatrick of 2025 different from the player the Dolphins drafted in 2018?
“I would say I’m definitely a lot more emotionally mature,” he said. “I think I was very emotionally unintelligent back then. Like I just said, I learned from my mistakes and I tried to grow in that area. I tried to get to know the people around me better and learn how to communicate, learn how to not communicate. Just stuff like that, for sure.”
▪ Though Fitzpatrick has appeared in five Pro Bowls, he said several career goals have not been met.
“As a player, I think I hit a lot of those marks that I want,” he said. “But as a teammate, I haven’t won a playoff game, haven’t been to a Super Bowl, haven’t won a conference championship. So there’s a lot for me that I still want to accomplish. There’s still a lot left for me to check off the goal list.”
▪ New Dolphins slot cornerback Mike Hilton suspected he would end up with Miami.
“At the beginning of free agency, me and Dolphins had a lot of talks,” he said. “I had a good feeling I would end up here. It was just a matter of when. Perfect timing.”
▪ Hilton has forged a reputation as a physical player; Pro Football Focus rated him No. 1 against the run among all cornerbacks last season.
“It’s in my nature,” he said. “When I get on the field, I try to make an impact. Obviously I’m not the biggest guy around so I expect guys to come my way. I’m a playmaker. When I get a chance to make plays in the backfield, I’m going to do it.”
How does he overcome his 5-9 size against taller receivers?
“The mental aspect,” he said. “I’ve been in this league nine years so I’ve seen a lot, done a lot, played against a lot of people, talking to different people, learning how they would attack me, how receivers scheme. Little things like that I feel I can elevate my game, even at this point.
“Sometimes those big guys can’t get as low as I can so I use my speed and my quickness and go make plays when I have the opportunity.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 6:30 PM.
