Dolphins’ looming tight end decision, Hunter Long reaction and Grier and Flores weigh in
Some Miami Dolphins notes entering Day 3 of the draft:
▪ The selection of Boston College tight end Hunter Long gives the Dolphins protection if Miami opts not to pay Mike Gesicki or Durham Smythe, who can become unrestricted free agents next March.
“I don’t like him. I love him,” NFL Network analyst former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said of Long. “In two years, we’ll be talking about a Pro Bowl tight end.”
Barring a trade, the problem is that Miami might need to keep five tight ends, which seems excessive: Gesicki, Smythe, Adam Shaheen (signed to an extension last season), Cethan Carter (their first signing in free agency in March) and Long.
Long averaged 14.6 yards per catch in three seasons.
▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said Long “ran 4.63, doesn’t play that fast. 32 ½ vertical. Smart kid, well rounded. Blocking is something that should be better and is getting better. But as a target, 57 catches this past year. Should have a really good career. Every game this year for BC, Hunter Long was a major factor in the passing game.”
▪ NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Long is “one of the more complete tight ends. You can use him in the run game. More than adequate as a blocker. He’s got some short area quickness and a ton of catches in combat areas in traffic.”
▪ NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered a mixed review: “Pass-catching tight end with decent speed and plus ball skills but a concerning lack of consistent aggression in his play. Long is much too passive and unskilled as a run blocker at this point of his development to consistently help against NFL competition.
“He also needs to get better at controlling his catch space with body control and physicality. However, when the ball is in the air, he plays with a plus level of tracking and focus to make tougher catches look easy, including throws that are down near his feet. He doesn’t look like a burner, but he does have success running the seam and working over routes, so play speed should not be an issue. He’s unlikely to ever be much of a blocker, so he must learn to become more competitive and feisty in fighting for his space and the football.”
▪ Brian Flores, a Boston College alum, on Long: “Obviously I was excited to add an Eagle. We had him at the Senior Bowl, so our entire coaching staff got a chance to spend some time with him. He’s a typical Boston College player. He’s tough, he’s smart, he’s team-first and we’re excited to have him.”
▪ The Dolphins, with their fifth-round pick, could target a running back they coached in the Senior Bowl: Oklahoma’s Rhamondre Stevenson or Virginia Tech’s Khalil Herbert, if either is available at that point. The other back they coached in Mobile - UNC’s Michael Carter - is likely to come off the board in the fourth round; Miami doesn’t have a fourth-round pick.
The Dolphins also coached UCLA running back Demetric Felton at the Senior Bowl, but he worked as a receiver in Mobile. He offers position flexibility.
Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard is another possibility; he was considered a potential second round pick as late as July. The Dolphins also could trade a fifth-round pick for a running back, as they did last year to acquire Matt Breida.
UPDATE: The Jets took Carter, the Panthers selected Hubbard and the Patriots drafted Stevenson.
Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson and Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell join Carter as the highest-rated backs on the board entering Round 4.
▪ Dolphins GM Chris Grier, on what appealed to Miami about safety Jevon Holland, who they selected 36th overall: “He’s a very smart, instinctive football player that’s been a very productive player. He’s also been a punt returner there, which we talk about, too; but at the end of the day, this guy just has a nose for the football. But it was his football intelligence and getting to know the kid that stood out as well. I think for us, going through this with Brian (Flores) – we were really excited. We were nervous that this player may not get there because there were a lot of people that really liked this player.”
Holland averaged 14.4 yards on 17 punt returns at Oregon. Waddle averaged a ridiculous 19.3 yards on 38 career punt returns (with two touchdowns) and 23.8 yards (with a touchdown) on nine career kickoff returns.
Flores said of Holland: “Jevon was one of, honestly, my favorite players to watch. Very versatile, played inside, played safety, punt return. I think you mentioned it – a lot of ball production. I’m hopeful that he can fill multiple roles.”
▪ Grier’s precise answer late Friday night when asked the value the Dolphins place on running back: “I think when you talk about the draft, you’re always – you evaluate the players. I don’t think you’re worried about value and stuff. When you look at your team, the fits – I think when you draft on need, at times you reach for stuff and start trying to appease what some people may think about it. At the end of the day, you set your board with the best players available and you want to make sure that you’re adding good players to your roster. We’d love to draft every position, every player every year if we could. But for us, the players we added were at the right spots for us and we feel good about it.”
▪ The Dolphins have already selected three players who played in the ACC last season in Jaelan Phillips (Miami), Liam Eichenberg (Notre Dame) and Long (Boston College). The last time the Dolphins picked three ACC players in the same draft was 1993, when they selected running back Terry Kirby (Virginia) in the third round, safety Robert O’Neal (Clemson) in the sixth round and linebacker David Merritt (North Carolina State) in the seventh round.
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 11:24 AM.
