Dolphins Sign Another Defensive Tackle (Not Named Wilkins)
While the situation involving Christian Wilkins remains the headline-grabber with the Miami Dolphins, the team signed a second player at his position Thursday.
The Dolphins announced the signing of defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon as a "street free agent," two days after they signed Isaiah Mack.
Nixon was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in the 2021 draft, and he has played 14 NFL regular season games, seven each in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Nixon hasn't been in the NFL since he was waived by the Seattle Seahawks late in the 2022 regular season.
In an ironic twist, Nixon was waived by the Seahawks that season to make room on their 53-man roster for Mack, who they had claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.
SCOUTING REPORT ON DAVIYON NIXON
After starting off at Iowa Wesleyan, Nixon wrapped up his collegiate career at the University of Iowa where he was selected as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Nixon is listed at 6-3, 305.
This is the scouting report we got from All Panthers Publisher Schuyler Callihan: "Nixon is an interesting player. He plays with good pad level and can give opposing linemen issues with his athleticism, but serves better in the run game than as a pass rusher. The strength is there naturally, but it doesn’t really show in the game. He won’t overpower someone with his strength and instead has to rely on his bend and speed to win a one-on-one. I thought he had starting potential coming out of Iowa and I still believe he can develop into a quality player, given the opportunity. He never really found a true home in Phil Snow’s scheme in Carolina. Suffering the knee injury his rookie year didn’t help matters."
This was the overview in his NFL.com draft profile: "Three-technique who thrives with his ability to penetrate and disrupt the offensive proceedings. He's good at getting skinny and darting into gaps in order to attack the run or cause blocking schemes to come off track. He appears to have much more functional strength in his lower body than upper body and has trouble controlling blockers at the point of attack with hand work and shed quickness. His agility and pursuit quickness will help him make plays that other interior defenders can't get to, but offenses will likely have success running right at him. He has Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) talent and could become an eventual starter."
THE NEW DOLPHINS FOR 2024
Nixon becomes the 11th player officially signed by the Dolphins since the end of the 2023 season.
The first nine were players signed to a future contract: DT Brandon Pili, WR Braylon Sanders, CB Ethan Bonner, LB Quinton Bell, G Chasen Hines, WR Anthony Schwartz, T Ryan Hayes, TE Tanner Conner and WR Matthew Sexton.
Mack and Nixon are the other two.
The signing of tight end Jonnu Smith had not become official as of late Tuesday afternoon.
