Senior Bowl director offers insight on Dolphins’ rookies, including a potential surprise
Over the years, we’ve found Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, an ESPN draft contributor and former NFL scout, to be a sharp judge of talent.
Nagy shared thoughts on the Dolphins’ rookie class in a phone conversation:
▪ The player he believes will be a pleasant surprise: undrafted Middle Tennessee State guard/tackle Robert Jones:
“His tape is really good. He’s the better prospect [than Dolphins seventh-round pick Larnel Coleman] in my opinion. He could eventually start in the league at guard or right tackle. His best fit is probably at guard.
“I didn’t see much of a difference in [Dolphins’ 2020 second-rounder] Robert Hunt and Robert Jones off their college tape. I thought Robert Jones would be a third- or fourth-round pick. He’s a talented guy who will play in the league a long time. Physical and tough.”
▪ On Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle: “Kyle Pitts was the best tight end that I scouted since Vernon Davis. But you look at position groups, and Mike Gesicki and Hunter Long and Durham Smythe are a pretty good position group at tight end.
“They needed help at receiver. I like the Waddle pick, especially if Flo [Dolphins Brian Flores] is open to using him on returns. He clearly impacts two phases of the game. He’s the best returner I’ve done since Devin Hester, not saying that he’s Devin Hester. He has the ability to be a dual returner and be a factor both on kicks and punts.”
What’s more, “he’s the most explosive playmaker in the draft. Had he been able to run the 40, and run a 4.2 in the 40, which I think he would have, he would have separated himself [from the other receivers]. He’s a really dynamic player, can score from anywhere on the field. You’ve got to get the ball in his hands.
“Being at the Iron Bowl in 2019, when you’re doing a live game and thinking what stood out, Waddle that day had four touchdowns, an amazing performance. He’s not just a little slot guy. He’s fast enough to play outside, too. He doesn’t play small. He goes up and can go above coverage and make plays. He’s not a little target. I really like the pick.”
▪ On UM defensive/end linebacker Jaelan Phillips, Nagy said some teams had concerns.
“It was the medicals [two previous concussions] that forced him to slide [a bit... Some] teams had concerns about his passion for football,” Nagy said. “He did walk away at some point [while at UCLA].”
But…
“He’s a heck of a player when you turn on the tape,” Nagy said. “He’s ready to make an immediate impact as a starter or rotational player. He’s going to get to the quarterback. He knows how to rush; he’s not a work in progress. You can get legitimate pass rush production as a rookie. He plays extremely hard, a good athlete. He was a pretty clean prospect off the tape.”
▪ On Notre Dame’s Liam Eichenberg, who is expected to move from left tackle to right tackle with the Dolphins: “Liam is a starting right tackle in the league. He can play on the left side in a pinch. But on the left side, I don’t think athletically he’s the ideal fit.
“He would be a blind-side protector with Tua [Tagovailoa], who’s a left-handed quarterback. I’ve never seen him play inside so I hate making a projection to guard, but I don’t see a problem if [he is asked to play guard at any point].
“But they’ve got a long-term solution at right tackle, and this allows them to kick Robert Hunt inside to guard, where he can be a mauler in there. Eichenberg is a pretty clean prospect. Pro Bowl player? I don’t know about that. You’re getting a good, solid starter.”
▪ On Boston College tight end Hunter Long: “I love him and the value in the third round. [During Senior Bowl week], I had a feeling Brian Flores was a fan. Hunter wasn’t healthy at the Senior Bowl, but he gutted through it, and I really appreciated that. He’s a true competitor, a tough guy.
“He made a really nice jump from his sophomore tape. When we watched him over [last] summer, he didn’t look like a guy that should come out early. But [during his 2020 season], he looked quicker and created better separation. He’s got unbelievable hands and looked [last year] like a guy that should come out early.
“He’s a starting level tight end. And he gives you a different option from Mike Gesicki. He’s got legit size to play at the line of scrimmage. He has good versatility. When he’s in the game, you don’t know if it’s run or pass.”
▪ On seventh-rounders Larnel Coleman and running back Gerrid Doaks:
“Coleman is a developmental player. I like Doaks a lot. All of the running backs we had [at the Senior Bowl] got drafted, and he was right at the cut line of the guys we invited. He grew on me. The more I watched him, the more I liked him. Big, physical guy. Tested better than I thought and a really solid, physical, downhill, tough running dude. He’s got talent to play in the league. He can be a surprise.”
▪ On undrafted rookie Jerome Johnson, the defensive tackle from Indiana: “He got upfield quickly, [produces] a little bit of a pass rush. I didn’t see him as a draftable level player, but he’s a nice free agent get. At minimum he will make a practice-squad. He showed enough getting to the quarterback to be really optimistic.”
Incidentally, Nagy noted he didn’t spend much time evaluating second-round safety Jevon Holland, which is why he wasn’t addressed in this story.
Here’s my Wednesday UM football notebook.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 2:30 PM.
