MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill brought his A game to his Monday news conference. Every answer seemed tailored to troll.
But there’s truth in humor, and when he joked that “I’m glad that we added some f—ing height” to the WR room in Grant DuBose, it struck a chord.
Of course, the Dolphins wouldn’t have had to scour the late-August waiver wire for size if back in April they had simply drafted LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the 21st overall pick — which Miami coach Mike McDaniel revealed Monday was a real possibility.
Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Talks Brian Thomas Jr.
The Dolphins instead took pass rusher Chop Robinson with their first-round pick, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to snatch Thomas at No. 23. Both rookies are expected to play significant roles when Robinson and Miami play host to Thomas’ Jaguars in Sunday’s season opener.
But it’s not at all hard to imagine a world in which the jerseys were reversed.
The Dolphins were absolutely in on the wide receiver market early in the NFL Draft and apparently gave some serious thought to taking Thomas if Robinson was off the board at 21.
“Super talented player that has a unique combination of being able to be a down the field third-level receiver that can track and make plays down the field, while also having a route running skill set to do your underneath and intermediate routes,” McDaniel said.
“You see a very talented individual that can take his game as far as he wants to take it. I think it’s adding to the plethora of LSU Tigers out there in the league. He’s a very talented individual that we will be well aware of when he’s out there on the field. It won’t be a surprise, because we did a lot of work on him coming out.”
It’s no surprise that the Dolphins had interest. Beyond his size (6’2″, 209 pounds), he has the speed (4.33-second 40-yard dash at the Combine) that McDaniel covets.
Had Miami drafted Thomas over Robinson, it probably never would have signed Odell Beckham Jr., who will miss at least the first month of the season with an undisclosed injury that predates his time with Miami.
Tyreek Hill, on being named a Miami Dolphins captain pic.twitter.com/KYoZg8GmZO
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 2, 2024
Beyond Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins have questions at wide receiver.
DuBose, Braxton Berrios, and Malik Washington are on the active roster, but the odds are good that McDaniel will also elevate one of the team’s three practice squad receivers (Robbie Chosen, Erik Ezukanma, and Dee Eskridge) for Sunday’s game.
“I feel like we’ve got one of the best entire groups in the NFL — as far as explosive, as far as big-play abilities, as far as all of that,” Hill said. “We have exactly what we need to win games in this league. Big games, whatever games you want to name. We have a great room and we have great coaches in our room who do a great job of making sure that we pay attention to detail.”