Dolphins executives offer insight into the team’s young players, including a ‘secret’

The Dolphins rarely give a public voice to members of their front office beyond general manager Chris Grier. But they did recently with the team’s in-house podcaster, Travis Wingfield, and it was pretty insightful.

Wingfield spoke with Dolphins personnel officials Marvin Allen, Adam Engroff and Matt Winston about some of the team’s young players and factors that led to the Dolphins drafting them.

Some highlights:

▪ Allen, the team’s assistant general manager, said guard Robert Hunt was essentially the Dolphins’ “secret” in 2020, when Miami’s staff coached one of the Senior Bowl teams.

“He was scheduled to play at the Senior Bowl, and he was injured and we were glad he didn’t because nobody else got a chance to see him and he was our secret,” Allen said. “Now everybody sees it.

“He was so dominant, and he was that athletic. People got a chance to see a glimpse of the athleticism on the touchdown that wasn’t [in the Baltimore Thursday night game]. It shows his athleticism and power. And he’s just a great person. We can build with guys like this.

“He was special to me because I was able to meet him when I went to Louisiana to scout him and I kind of fell in love with the person.”

▪ Justin Herbert’s name wasn’t mentioned, but Allen explained why the Dolphins were drawn to Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 Draft:

“If you remember how Tua first came in for Alabama, he rescued them in the championship game. He showed all the poise, instincts, anticipation you would want to see.

“He’s more of a leader by example, but he’s a cool, calm, collected customer. Some of the throws he’s been able to make with his anticipation and accuracy” left an impression on Dolphins management.

▪ Allen said of receiver Jaylen Waddle: “I remember Chris Grier and I were at his pro day and he was a ball of fire. The energy. You see the explosiveness on the field. You say, ‘This guy is going to be something.’

“You want as many playmakers as you can get on the field. He’s got really good hands, can make things happen once he catches it. Those are special qualities in a receiver. We all saw it. Having a relationship with Tua really helped.”

▪ Allen, on what drew the team to defensive tackle Raekwon Davis in the 2020 Draft: “He’s huge. You would think he’s supposed to be in WWF [World Wrestling Federation, now WWE]. He’s really athletic for a guy that size. You don’t see that combination of explosiveness and athleticism with a guy that big.

“What we wanted him to be able to do was anchor inside. He’s selfless. This guy will eat up blocks and not try to play outside of the scheme. He could probably go and make some plays, but he’s holding blocks for other guys to make plays.”

▪ Winston, the team’s assistant director of college scouting, said the first time he noticed Oregon safety Jevon Holland, he was there to scout different Ducks players, but Holland’s impressive play that day “kind of stuck with me.”

A season later, after Holland became draft eligible, “I thought he had gained speed,” Winston said. That further enhanced his value in the Dolphins’ eyes.

Winston said with safety Brandon Jones, “you knew you were drafting a professional already, like Jevon.”

Winston said that Jones — as a Dolphins player — has evolved into someone “very reliable, in terms of what you’re getting day in and day out. You know you’re going to get some sort of explosive play. He’s got a niche rushing the passer in exotic packages. Really being a force in and around the line of scrimmage is where he’s stood out to me.”

▪ Winston said cornerback Nik Needham — who we rate as the Dolphins’ best undrafted signing in the past four years — was a priority for the Dolphins after the 2019 Draft because “he’s a very controlled player. Didn’t maybe have the high-end speed, but always instinctive, always in the right place, and that has translated to Sundays.”

▪ Engroff, the co-director of player personnel, said when he first put eyes on Jaelan Phillips long before he transferred to Miami, he asked UCLA coaches “Who’s that guy? That guy looks like a first-round pick and he was a true freshman… A complete freak athlete, can do whatever he wants on the field. Speed, high motor, relentless pursuit.”

▪ Engroff said he refers to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel as a “pain in the [butt] player. He might not make the sack but he contributes to the play so somebody else can come in [and get the sack].”