A brand-new season of Dolphins football is around the corner and we're getting you ready for the start of training camp!
Over the next week, we'll be looking at the entirety of the Dolphins 91-man roster and providing a cheat sheet for when the action begins at the Baptist Health Training Complex.
Tight Ends
In 2024, Miami's tight ends room turned in one of the most productive seasons since Head Coach McDaniel's arrival, and the group is looking to carry that momentum into 2025.
The Dolphins reshuffled the room ahead of the 2025 season. Veteran Pharaoh Brown was imported via free agency from Seattle and Jonnu Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile Darren Waller, who was dealt to Miami from the Giants for a conditional pick swap, is ending his one-year retirement to continue his career in South Florida.
It's one of the trickiest positions to execute in this offensive system. The outside zone running game requires athleticism to reach and attach to blocks on the perimeter, but the passing game can call upon a sixth blocker, often from the tight end spot. Those two skills are Brown's calling card. Meanwhile, Waller has been known throughout his career to be one of the biggest mismatch advantages in the league. More on them in a moment. Let's meet the entire room, led by Assistant HC/Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree.
The Cast (in alphabetical order):
- Pharaoh Brown
- Tanner Conner
- Jaylin Conyers
- Julian Hill
- Hayden Rucci
- Darren Waller
The pass game production Miami got from the position was a much-needed lift throughout 2024, but lack of execution in short-yardage situations could often be traced back to defensive ends and outside linebackers crossing in from the outside, including pass protection breakdowns on critical downs. For Brown and third-year tight end Julian Hill, those attached roles working on combination blocks, both in the run game and when Tua Tagovailoa goes back to pass, could facilitate a return to dominance by Miami's two game-breaking wide receivers (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle).
Both Hill and Brown's tape is full of escort blocks around the edge, wrap blocks coming around the corner in motion and various actions before the snap to set up the Dolphins run game. Brown does feature some of the skills of the departed Smith. He's a punishing runner with the ball in his hands and creates the occasional splash play running vertical routes. As recently as 2023, Brown caught four passes of 20-plus yards, including a 58-yard touchdown.
In his third year out of Campbell, Hill looks to continue adding knowledge and timing to a game filled with physicality. He's adept at driving players off the ball, and another year of tape to digest and experience growth should help him find yet another level of comfort.
Waller at his peak was a shifty and enormous rebounder with the wiggle of a slot possession man and the chops of a dominant X receiver, lining up to the short side of the field to draw one-on-one matchups. If he can find a niche in either role, it would open up the offense in a way Miami simply didn't have in 2024. During his prime, Waller compiled more than 2,300 yards and 12 touchdowns across two seasons for the Raiders (2019-2020).
Tanner Conner fascinates with a skill set that's seen him clock over 21 miles per hour covering kickoffs in the preseason and a highlight reel of impressive camp catches. Staying healthy has been the biggest roadblock for Conner, but if he can find some injury fortune, he'll remain an intriguing piece.
Undrafted rookie Jaylin Conyers, out of Texas Tech, is a 260-pound smooth mover that blew the doors off the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Conyers, along with second-year undrafted tight end Haydon Rucci, will be worth watching during training camp.
The Dolphins will be back on the field next week, and you can be in the stands at the Baptist Health Training Complex starting Saturday, July 26. Parking and admission are free, but tickets must be reserved. Learn more here.
