Dolphins Player Profile: LB Andrew Van Ginkel
As we continue through this offseason without minicamps, we'll be breaking down the players on the roster, review their 2019 performance and see how they fit for 2020.
We continue this series with linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel
How he got to Miami
The Dolphins selected Van Ginkel in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft, taking the University of Wisconsin linebacker with the 151st overall selection. Van Ginkel was the 20th of 36 linebackers taken in the 2019 draft.
Contract status
Van Ginkel is in the second year of the rookie contract he signed in 2019. Van Ginkel signed a four-year deal worth $3.2 million and will have a base salary of $675,000 this season, according to overthecap.com. He could become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022 season.
2019 season
It was a case of better late than never for Van Ginkel in his first season in the NFL.
Because of a foot injury he sustained in the summer, Van Ginkel spent a good portion of the 2019 season on injured reserve, but the Dolphins saw enough promise in him (along with having a desire to see what he could offer) that they used one of their return designations on him.
Van Ginkel rewarded him by showing more and more promise as each week went by at the end of the regular season.
Van Ginkel made his NFL debut in the Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, got his first NFL sack against Sam Darnold of the New York Jets two weeks later and closed things out by recording a season-high six tackles in the upset of the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
In the final two games, Van Ginkel played 65 and 60 defensive snaps, a clear indication of his progress. In addition, Van Ginkel was a regular contributor on special teams in the final weeks of the season.
2020 outlook
For some reason, Van Ginkel isn't mentioned all that often when you hear or read about the Dolphins' defensive plans for 2020, and that just seems odd.
Based on what he showed down the stretch in his rookie season, it would seem a mistake to dismiss the possibility that he could play a significant role for the Dolphins this upcoming season.
It's probably a given that Kyle Van Noy will play a lot of snaps as an outside linebacker and based on the 2019 snaps it's likely Jerome Baker also will have a big role.
But beyond those two, Head Coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Josh Boyer have a lot of options, and Van Ginkel absolutely figures to be in the mix when it comes to edge defenders.
How big of a role he ends up playing will depend on what he makes of opportunities he's given, but his performance down the stretch last year offers hope he could be a factor for the 2020 Dolphins defense.
