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The Lowdown on the Dolphins Rookie Free Agents

Did the Miami Dolphins land one or more hidden gems after the 2020 NFL draft
Alain Poupart|
Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports

After selecting 11 college prospects in the 2020 NFL draft, the Dolphins continued adding to their roster by coming to terms to undrafted rookie free agents.

Though no signing has been made official, at least nine rookie free agents have come to terms with the Dolphins based on social media posts by agents or colleges.

The Dolphins can only hope to get one or two players who can make the same kind of impact that rookie free agents Preston Williams and Nik Needham made in 2019 when both became starters.

So who could be this year's Williams and Needham?

Let's break down the nine rookie free agents (players listed alphabetically:

WR MATT COLE, McKendree University

The first name on the list just might be the most obscure and one of the more interesting prospect.

Cole played at Division II McKendree University in Illinois and was the Great Lakes Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Year after averaging 26 yards on punt returns. But Cole also showed big-play ability as a receiver, catching 43 passes for 939 yards (an eye-opening 21.8-yard average) and 12 touchdowns.

"I'm excited and extremely blessed for this opportunity with Miami," Cole said in a story on the McKendree athletic website. "I know being a (NCAA) Division II guy I'm a little under the radar, but ready to take on this challenge. I just want to go down there, work hard with that blue-collar mentality we had at McKendree, and prove myself. There have been a lot of unsigned players who have been able to make it in the NFL. I am ready for this chance."

LB KYLAN JOHNSON, Pittsburgh

Johnson spent four years at the University of Florida before moving to Pitt as a graduate transfer. He started all 13 games for Pitt at "Money" linebacker and earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition.

A member of the All-ACC Academic Team last season, his biggest play on the field was a forced fumble near the Pitt goal line and 79-yard fumble return in a 20-10 victory against Georgia Tech.

This marks the second consecutive year the Dolphins have signed a rookie free agent defensive player from Pitt. Johnson follows DE Dewayne Hendrix, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.

DT BENITO JONES, Ole Miss

We discussed Jones at length in a previous story, pointing that he was longtime NFL exec and current NFL.com senior media analyst Gil Brandt's No. 1-rated rookie free agent defensive tackle.

OT NICK KALTMAYER, Kansas State

At 6 feet 8, Kaltmayer was among the tallest offensive tackle prospects available in the 2020 NFL draft. His hometown is Edwardsville, Illinois, the same as Buffalo Bills second-round pick A.J. Epenesa.

Kaltmayer earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades as a redshirt junior in 2019 in his first year as a starter.

He said he was in contact with the Dolphins leading up to the draft.

“I really felt like Miami was a good fit for me,” Kaltmayer told the Evansville Intelligencer. “I talked to a scout at the NFLPA games in California. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a few phone calls with them. They told me I was a priority free agent for them.”

DT RAY LIMA, Kansas State

Lima didn't put up big statistics at Iowa State, but Big 12 coaches understood his value as they put him on their all-conference second team each of the past two seasons.

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Lima was not invited to the scouting combine, but according to 247sports.com ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay had a fifth-round grade on him last fall.

Perhaps the best way to show Lima's potential value is to listen to what Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said about him prior to last season.

WR KIRK MERRITT, Arkansas State

Merritt joins the Dolphins after an eventful college career that saw him go from Oregon to Texas A&M to East Mississippi Community College — "Last Chance U" in the Netflix series — before ending up at Arkansas State.

Merritt, a four-star recruit out of high school, never played at Texas A&M after being dismissed because of an off-the-field incident.

After helping lead East Mississippi to the 2017 NJCAA national championship, Merritt put up impressive numbers at Arkansas State with 83 catches for 1,005 yards in 2018 and 70 catches for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall when he earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition.

DE TYSHUN RENDER, Middle Tennessee State

A relatively lightly regarded prospect, Render gained attention in late February when he spent a day with Patriots coach Bill Belichick as the result of a workout set up by MTSU offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.

Render had modest stats last season, with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

IOL DONELL STANLEY, South Carolina

Stanley was a rare six-year player at South Carolina, as he redshirted in 2014 and then earned a medical redshirt as a sophomore in 2016 when he sustained a high ankle sprain in the first offensive series of the season.

Stanley started his final three years at South Carolina, and in 2019 was one of five permanent team captains and earned the team's Nutrition Award, the Unselfish Teammate Award for offense and the Leadership Award for offense.

DE BRYCE STERK, Montana State

Sterk earned second-team All-America honors in the FCS ranks in 2019 after finishing with 20 tackles for loss and 15 sacks, but a press release on the school athletic website indicated he signed with the Dolphins as a tight end.

"Several teams called in the last few months about the possibility of Bryce moving to tight end," Montana State coach Jeff Choate said on the website. "He has the athleticism and the intelligence to make this move, and I have complete confidence the he'll be successful."

Sterk is listed at 6-5, 250 pounds and began is collegiate career at the University of Washington. He played both offensive and defensive lines in high school.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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