'Goofy' Tight End Could Be Perfect Fit for Dolphins
INDIANAPOLIS — The Miami Dolphins will be — or at least should be — in the market for a front-line tight end this season, and it just so happens that the position is loaded in the 2023 NFL draft.
"I think the tight end group is the best I've seen in the last 10 years," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said during a pre-combine Zoom media session. "It's outstanding."
The tight ends at the combine had their day with the media Friday, and two really stood out — for different reasons.
Darnell Washington from the University of Georgia stood out with his size as he borderline dwarfed the other tight end prospects at the Indiana Convention Center.
Then there was Tucker Kraft from South Dakota State, who stood out with an apparently big personality that gave Rob Gronkowski vibes.
"You know, I do believe that the tight end is the people's position," Kraft said. "You know a lot of us are kind of goofy and we like that to hang loose and have fun. So I think like when you turn on a tight end and you witness their personality firsthand, that's something that you know other teams want to emulate. They want to have that kind of guy in their locker room."
Nobody is going to draft Kraft because he sounds like a fun dude, so it's a good thing he actually can play.
He's a solid two-way tight end who's generally projected as a Day 2 selection, meaning the second or third round. That's where the Dolphins will have three of their first picks in the 2023 NFL draft.
Kraft has met with the Dolphins at the combine and called him a "funny guy."
There's another reason he'd love getting drafted by the Dolphins, and it came when he was asked what he thought of the idea of possibly playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Honestly, it also just be great to get out of South Dakota for a while, at least get through my rookie contract," he said. "Getting somewhere warm, that'd be great."
Kraft missed the first six games of the 2022 because of an ankle injury that required surgery, but returned to help South Dakota State win the FCS national title by defeating powerhouse North Dakota State in the final.
Kraft finished with 27 catches last season after having 66 the previous year."
"Mentally, it took a greater toll on me than it did physically," Kraft said. "I invested so much time into 2022 season trying to be tight end 1 on the board out of out of college, like a unanimous tight end 1. So that hurt a lot. That hurt my pride. Everything about it."
A simple injury, no matter how serious, is really insignificant in the big picture considering what Kraft has gone through in his life.
"You know, I think my background is different than a lot of guys," he said. "I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that nobody else has experienced adversity, but in my life I have. When I was 12 years old, my dad passed away. After that, my mom developed a very serious chronic illness. So I spent like my entire junior and senior year living alone taking care of chores, and I grew up in a ranching community. I'm very thankful for everyone that came around and tried to help out and play dad for me. I'm not gonna say I've done everything on my own, but I had to learn how to grow up a lot faster and all my friends, become very self-sufficient."
The Dolphins will be in the market for a front-line tight end with the expected free agency departure of Mike Gesicki and also that of Adam Shaheen, which will leave Durham Smythe, Hunter Long and Tanner Conner on the roster.
WASHINGTON A 'UNIQUE' TALENT
While Kraft is a more of a dual tight end, Washington clearly is a blocking specialist. That makes sense considering he looks more like an offensive tackle than anything.
"I feel like I'm the most unique tight end in this draft," Washington said simply. "I wouldn't say the best. I'm very humble ... I feel like I'm only scratching the surface. I feel like I'm a good blocker, but I can turn into a great blocker. I'm a good athlete. I feel like I can turn into a great athlete."
Washington's intriguing potential has him projected as a second-round pick who potentially could sneak into the first, and might put him out of reach for the Dolphins at number 51.
In an interesting twist, Washington said he grew up trying to emulate not Gronk but Megatron.
"Growing up I wasn't as big weight-wise, so I was looking like Calvin Johnson," Washington said. "I was like 230 and playing wide receiver. Mark Andrews is one of my favorites and I like Marcedes Lewis.
"I just embraced the role of blocking. It's a mind-set thing."
Given that McDaniel really would like to have a great blocking tight end, like he had George Kittle in San Francisco, Washington also would make sense for the Dolphins in the second round if he's still on the board.
