Following the Tyreek Hill trade in March, the Dolphins remaining four draft picks was the fewest number of picks and the lowest value in terms of total draft capital in the NFL.
But the rookie class – both drafted and undrafted – have made quite a big impact in the first two contests.
Against the Raiders, wide receiver Erik Ezukanma hauled in six catches for 114 receiving yards on nine targets. It wasn’t just the stats – Ezukanma showed the same strength, competitive nature, balance, and run after the catch that popped off the tape when he was at Texas Tech.
“Coach (Welker) preaches that you have never arrived,” Ezukanma said. “You always have to go to work every day. In the middle of the game actually, I was kind of messing up a little bit early on, and he told us, ‘You’re here to take a grown man’s job.’ That really resonated with me. I went back out there and just did everything I could to make plays when the ball came my way.”
Quarterback Skylar Thompson completed nine of his 10 pass attempts for 129 yards and a touchdown – good for a 152.1 passer rating. On the preseason, the nimble, strong-armed rookie has 347 passing yards (26 more on the ground) two touchdowns and a 121.3 passer rating.
“He just gets better every day,” McDaniel said of Thompson. This game the operation was better. And he is starting to make plays that when one or two aren’t there, feeling the concept. And like that touchdown they threw to ‘Z. White’ on the left-hand side, that’s something that Skylar doesn’t do at the beginning of the preseason.”
Defensive tackle Ben Stille continued his strong August with a sack. Wide receiver Braylon Sanders looked the part with three catches for 40 yards while running back ZaQuandre White found the end zone on his reception. Linebacker Channing Tindall flashed in both phases while his positional contemporary, Cameron Goode, continues to make plays off the edge. Cornerback Kader Kohou showed the athleticism and ball skills that we have seen in flashes throughout the camp.