Senior Bowl director offers insight on Dolphins’ rookie additions on defense, O-line
We’ve always found Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, a former NFL scout, to be a good judge of talent.
Heading into this week’s Dolphins minicamp (Wednesday and Thursday), Nagy assessed some of the rookies that the Dolphins added at quarterback, running back and receiver in this Monday piece, and some of their other rookies here in this piece:
His feedback on four new Dolphins that he evaluated:
▪ Linebacker Channing Tindall, selected 102nd overall: “Channing has got a really high ceiling.There was a game in the beginning of the year, against Clemson, that he may have played only 10, 11 snaps the whole game, but the 10, 11 he played, he got your attention.
“The Georgia linebacker coach is a friend of mine, and he has been telling me that he loves Channing and that group of linebackers. They had so many [top] guys.”
That group of Georgia linebackers included Quay Walker (who went 22nd to Green Bay) and Nakobe Dean (83rd to Philadelphia).
“The things that stick out about Channing are his speed and range and physicality,” Nagy said. “Everyone in the league is looking for guys that can run and hit and cover, and Channing can certainly do that. You fill your linebacker room with guys that run in the 4.4s, and you’re heading in the right direction.
“He wouldn’t have reached 102 if he played a more prominent role on a lesser defense. He gets clumped in as a byproduct of that particular unit.”
▪ California edge player Cameron Goode, the first of Miami’s two seventh-round picks:
“He used the extra COVID year [of eligibility], and we’ve been watching him three years. He’s a good player. You knew he would test well. Didn’t know he would test that well.
“To get a guy that has proven pass-rush ability that late in the draft and a good tester, that’s a good pick. At that point in the draft, you’re looking to add guys at premium positions with traits.
“Guys at Cal rave about his character. One of our Senior Bowl guys is on staff at Cal and says great things about him. He’s got a trait everyone looks for, a guy that can attack the quarterback.”
▪ Oregon safety Verone McKinley III: “He was a late add for us during the week. We brought him in midweek but the things you like about Verone are the instincts and the finishing skills, good eyes, can anticipate and when he’s around the ball, he can get his hands on it.
“He had a nice Ohio State game early in the year, played a lot in the slot. That’s probably his best home. If you play him deep, speed might be a bit of a concern.”
Nagy said the Senior Bowl had free agent or priority free agent grades on the six other post-draft defensive additions, so he did not personally evaluate them.
▪ Arizona State left tackle Kellen Diesch, signed after the draft: Of the three offensive linemen signed by Miami after the draft (Diesch, Minnesota’s Blaise Andries and Arkansas’ Ty Clary, who was subsequently cut for an injury reason), Diesch was the only one who the Senior Bowl put a draftable grade on.
“He was right around the cut line for us,” Nagy said. “It surprised me he didn’t get drafted. Good tape. A little bit of a tweener in that his arms were disproportionally short for a guy that tall [6-7].
“He’s a good athlete, controlled mover, more controlled than twitchy. He did a nice job at the college level playing at tackle. In the NFL, you worry about lack of length. He might be headed to guard, which he has done some. Good athlete. There’s a lot to like there. I thought he would be drafted. I would expect him to have a good shot” to make the 53-man roster
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 3:58 PM.
