Dolphins round out 4-person draft class, their smallest ever

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Within the Miami Dolphins’ draft room over the previous three days, there was an absence of consensus on no less than one subject.

Seems, there isn’t any official Dolphins stance on whether or not In-N-Out burgers are overrated. Normal supervisor Chris Grier acknowledged that he believes that’s the case. Not everybody is outwardly satisfied.

“There’s been some heavy debate,“ Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated.

Such are the conversations that apparently get a crew by means of a three-day-long draft once they have solely 4 picks to make, two of them towards the very finish. Between consuming piles of sushi and consuming copious quantities of Cherry Pepsi, the Dolphins additionally discovered the time so as to add 4 gamers — the final three of these strikes coming Saturday.

The Dolphins took Texas Tech vast receiver Erik Ezukanma within the fourth spherical at No. 125, then grabbed Cal linebacker Cameron Goode within the seventh spherical at No. 224 and Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson at No. 247.

They be a part of Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall, picked late Friday night time towards the top of Spherical 3, as the one members of the Dolphins’ draft class of 4 — the smallest in crew historical past.

“I’m feeling like there’s been quite a lot of work accomplished, however nothing’s been accomplished, if that is smart,“ McDaniel stated.

Certainly, there may be extra work to do. Undrafted free brokers had been being known as Saturday night time, rookie camps await and there are methods that the Dolphins — who had a busy offseason, touchdown vast receiver Tyreek Hill as the large transfer and nonetheless have cap room remaining — may usher in established gamers between now and coaching camp.

And despite the fact that his first draft was mild, McDaniel decided it to be successful.

“We’d like some Miami Dolphins that our locker room can embrace and may make the gamers that now we have higher and make the crew higher,“ McDaniel stated. “That’s what we did and we really feel nice about that.”

All 4 picks have achievements that merely soar off their faculty resumes.

Tindall was the one Georgia participant who had a three-sack recreation this previous season for the crew that might win the nationwide title and completed tied for third with 67 tackles regardless of not being a starter. Ezukanma led Texas Tech in receiving yards throughout every of the previous three seasons, in addition to receptions in 2020 and 2021. Goode had seven sacks — as many as any two of his Cal teammates mixed — final fall, which occurred to be his sixth 12 months of school. Thompson was the MVP of Kansas State’s Texas Bowl win over LSU in his collegiate finale, and is the one participant in his faculty’s historical past with 6,000 passing yards and 1,000 dashing yards in a profession.

Ezukanma had an interview with the Dolphins on the mix, and the crew gave him a hat throughout that assembly. Good factor he held onto it; it got here in useful Saturday for his first video convention as a Miami participant.

And his new place coach may have already got a little bit of a delicate spot for him: former Dolphins receiver Wes Welker, like Ezukanma, performed at Texas Tech.

“He’s Pink Raider blood similar to me, so (there was) lot of contact all through the method,” Ezukanma stated. “With Wes Welker taking an opportunity on me and the Miami franchise, I admire them a lot and I’m grateful for this chance and I’m prepared simply to work.”

Goode has performed in Florida loads of instances — performed baseball, that’s. Baseball grew to become too gradual for him, he stated, so he switched to soccer. His father, James Goode, was drafted within the fifth spherical by Atlanta in 1991 however by no means formally performed within the NFL.

“He’s at all times telling me about his experiences,” Cameron Goode stated. “I simply comprehend it’s going to be a psychological battle. You’ve at all times obtained to be mentally sturdy. It’s an extended course of. It’s a battle. Everyone’s good.”

Thompson is somebody the Dolphins recognized as a quarterback with potential to develop, Grier stated.

“He’s a aggressive child,“ Grier stated. “Good, powerful, he’s obtained some athletic means. All the time admire how he performed and the way different coaches and the individuals round him talked concerning the character and the individual. It was at all times intriguing.”

___

Extra AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://apnews.com/hub/pro-32 and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

SHARE: