How the Dolphins Could Unlock the Upside of Waiver-Wire Addition Justin Joly

New Miami Dolphins waiver-wire addition Justin Joly’s college tape tells two completely different stories.

Throw him the football, and he looked like one of the best tight ends in the country. Ask him to block, and the drop-off was staggering.

The N.C. State product finished last season with the ninth-highest receiving Pro Football Focus grade in college football among tight ends who logged at least 25% of their team’s snaps, including the third-highest receiving grade among tight ends selected in the 2026 NFL draft.

His run-blocking grade, meanwhile, ranked 462nd in the nation.

That contradiction helps explain why the Dolphins were able to claim him off waivers just four months after the Denver Broncos selected him in the fifth round of the 2026 draft.

“We knew he was raw, and we still liked the player. He was coming on toward the end of training camp. The tight end position is a tough position for a rookie... Just a little bit behind,” Broncos general manager George Paton said after roster cuts. “We wish we had another game or two. We still like the player, we think he’s going to have a nice career.”

The rookie flashed throughout the preseason, finishing with five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown over three games, including an 88-yard score in the finale against Minnesota.

However, Denver already had established NFL tight ends in Evan Engram and Adam Trautman and selected another rookie tight end, Dallen Bentley, in the same draft.

Joly’s receiving ability jumps off the film

There’s plenty to work with.

During his final collegiate season, the 6-foot-3, 241-pound tight end caught 49 passes while leading the Wolfpack with seven receiving touchdowns, tying the program’s single-season record for a tight end.

Approximately 35% of Joly’s snaps came from the slot last season. He lined up inline 286 times, in the slot 184 times, out wide 26 times and in the backfield another 23 times..

Against Florida State, he lined up in the slot and sold vertically at full speed before using a subtle rocker step to stick inside and create enough separation from the defensive back before working toward the pylon on a corner route for a touchdown.

Later in the same game, he showcased his ability to work through contact, a trait that could make him a reliable security blanket in Miami’s offense if developed properly.

Joly repeatedly hung on to the ball in traffic over the middle, including one seam route where a defender took out his legs and flipped him over as he secured the catch.

Blocking remains a major work in progress

Miami lacks his receiving profile at the position; the question is whether they can help him improve everything else.

As a blocker, the 22-year-old often relies on his size to absorb contact and simply anchor down rather than consistently landing proper hand placement and creating the leverage needed to drive defenders off their spot.

That approach was passable at times at the college level, but NFL defenders will expose it quickly if his technique doesn’t improve

That said, if rookie tight end Will Kacmarek can develop into the blocker Miami hopes, Joly may have the luxury of developing that part of his game gradually while still carving out a role as a big-bodied receiving option on a team loaded with rookie pass-catchers.

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