The Miami Dolphins just wrapped up their first post-draft practices and there is a lot of hope for this year’s team, but that hope also comes with its share of question marks, especially on offense.
First and foremost, can/will Tua Tagovailoa stay healthy for the entire season? There are also concerns about the wide receivers. Will Tyreek Hill even be in Miami when the season starts? Will Jaylen Waddle increaase his production and perform up to his five-year, $109 million extension that he signed last offseason?
Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald writes that – as great as Waddle can be – he might not be the second-most important receiving threat on the Dolphins’ offense. It very well could be tight end Jonnu Smith, who ended the 2024 season very strongly.
“At this point, Jonnu Smith is more valuable to the Dolphins offense than Waddle,” Kelly writes in what will be seen as quite a bold statement to many Dolphins fans.
“And as ridiculous as this might sound, it would be a disappointment if a healthy Smith doesn’t outperform the record-setting performance he delivered for the Dolphins in 2024,” Kelly continues.
Smith ended the season with 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. That is massive production for what has so far been the career of a journeyman. Smith was a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2017 out of Florida International University and has since bounced around the league for eight seasons with the Titans, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and now the Dolphins.
Jonnu’s breakthrough 2024 season
In a Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Smith caught seven balls for 96 yards and a touchdown in what was his first really productive game of the season. He’d strike again in a November win over the Las Vegas Raiders when he had six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns. From there, he took off and became a force.
Why did his success take so long? Kelly says it took him a minute to learn Mike McDaniel’s offense.
“Keep in mind Smith got off to a slow start in the season’s first month because he didn’t fully grasp the Dolphins offense,” Kelly writes.
From the Raiders game on, Smith caught 55 balls for 537 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games. Smith had never had that kind of production before in an entire season in his career.
Jason Picks of Dolphins Talk expects Smith to continue this success into the upcoming 2025 season.
“Heading into 2025, Jonnu Smith’s outlook is bright,” Picks writes. “Smith is now obviously entrenched as the Dolphins’ primary pass-catching tight end. Miami’s offense, which led the NFL in yardage in 2023, remains potent with Tua at the helm. Smith’s chemistry with Tua, particularly in the red zone, suggests he’ll continue to see plenty of targets.”
It should also be noted that Smith signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Dolphins in 2024, which means this year is a contract year. Another strong performance he could really cash in following the season.
Will Smith have competition at tight end?
Barring injury, Smith will be the clear-cut No. 1 option for the Dolphins at the tight end position. But, as Kelly notes, “he’s not the only tight end clocking significant playing time.”
Despite being an undrafted free agent in 2023, Julian Hill is a talented player who could push for playing time if he minimizes the mental mistakes.
“Julian Hill got elevated into a starting role last year because he’s one of the strongest players on the team,” Kelly continues. “But Julian Hill’s consistent screw-ups cost the team momentum in numerous games. If this third-year player is going to keep his in-line tight end role Julian Hill needs to tighten up and become a more disciplined player, or the Dolphins need to move on.”
Smith should be able to hold off Hill. On an offense with Tyreek Hill and Waddle, there are only so many footballs to go around and it would be tough for two tight ends to see a lot of targets. The Dolphins will likely do everything they can to see Smith continue his end-of-season hot streak into this year.
