Drive Time: 2023 Tight Ends Review

the podcast. We'll also go ahead and take a look at the conference championship week and when we learn from those games with the Lions and Niners and the Ravens and the Chiefs.

Then again from five to thirteen, no rings. And this shows you the I guess inclusivivity of the Hall of Fame in terms of it's not about one accomplishment, it's about your body of work. And I think that Brady from five to thirteen no rings, but had that undefeated regular season in seven improved stats that during that run of his career, consistently dominant year in and year out, with different receivers and different defense, like whatever.

and on the other side of it, the Niners. Another chance for Kyle Shanahan to break through, which I think is ultimately where my allegiances lean.

in there, but Mahomes and Lamar. Right, you get to this point of the calendar and it becomes the same guys again. But for Shanahan, you know, like a chance to really get over the hump. Right, the twenty sixteen Super Bowl as the OC, you know, when he had twenty five point lead go by the wayside. Then the Super Bowl as a head coach is a ten point fourth quarter lead, had a man wide open with Marquis Goodwin to win that thing, but Jimmy Ggoppolo misses the throw.

Then the late loss of the Rams in the twenty one NFC Championship Game. Then the last year to have their quarterback get hurt early on in the game in the NFC Title Game. I just I feel like the Niners are due to get to the spot and to win in this game. And like we talk about the heartbreak on this podcas cast all the damn time, it's been the Niners since Shanahan got there getting.

you saw when Miami lost to Kansas City. I saw, this team will never win a championship with Harbaugh and Jackson at the helm. This team is all about the regular season, all fluff, and then they disappear in the biggest moments. I think thirty one fan bases are gonna feel that way. So Dolphins fans, You're not alone. And those that don't subscribe to the chaos theory and the perpetual complaining and bitching and whining about everything that goes

wrong in a loss. The ones that don't do that just know that every other fan base does the exact same thing as well. So like, but the heartbreak at this time of year is just so much more intense, isn't it. I don't really know, I'd imagine for those teams that is that way, but we haven't experienced that. I really would like to at some point. But imagine if you're a Lions fan today, if the Lions were us today, I didn't think fandom could get more painful

than our final three games of the season. But a seventeen point second half lead that turns these next two weeks, which should have been the two most fun weeks of your life as a sports fan. Right, Like your team has never been in the Super Bowl, They're gonna go. You're gonna be talked about for two weeks. Every podcast, every show, every radio hit, every interview, every press conference is like on thirty, not ten on thirty.

games that don't involve the Dolphins. And I always say that the Dolphins fans hold the Dolphins to a different standard than the rest of the league, and this quarterback to a different standard than the rest of the league.

Olsen in the NFL as your color guy. But I saw him get lots of feedback, and I get the trepidation about Dan Campbell's decisions. But he talked about how you can't play the outcomes of these Dan Campbell decisions. While I agree to his point a little bit, I do think there is a unique case in a do or die game. It's kind of like in baseball, where you don't bunt and give up outs in a one hundred and sixty two game contest, right, Like, that's it's

all about Billy Bean Jonahill moneyball. Maximize your runs you score, minimize the runs you allow, and giving away outs in that situation over one hundred and sixty two games will produce fewer runs. But in an October, in a one game playoff that you need to win, you do move that runner from second to third base on a bunt. Right. The lesson is use sample size overreaction, but also I mean beyond common sense like you can just see it.

just change the game completely. If Darnell Savage picks off that pass in his lap last week, to the Niners end the year as one and done as double digit home favorites in the divisional round as the one seed, an embarrassing way to go out, maybe, or if Josh Reynolds catches one of two critical passes in his bread basket, like maybe the Niners don't get past this game, and that's a huge failure in its own right right to lose the Lions, Like the Lions were a good team

this year, but for the Niners to lose the Lions in that spot at home, can't do it extrapolate the quality of your coaches, your teams, whatever, from one drop pass, from one result. That is my entire point. You do that, you're gonna inform bad decisions. But if you evaluate and provide context and don't make results based ultimatums, make the playoffs or else you're gone.

insanely gifted playmaker quarterbacks right going tit for tat. On those first couple of drives, Mahomes and Kelsey had those that big fourth down conversion and then the big touchdown back shoulder throw that was a phenomenal throw, but even better catch from Kelsey, who reminded me of Gronk and those catches the way those massive hands just sort of vacuumed the football in and make these tough contested catches.

And then Lamar gets one of those scramble looks tend plays where he runs around and makes a great throw into the end zone over the top for was it Zay Flowers for the touchdown? And it's like, okay, here we go. It's going to be a repeat of last week. Two superhuman quarterbacks going back and forth. And then it wasn't that how many three and outs were there? The first two possessions of the third quarter, there was five

to three and outs. The Chiefs ended the game with five straight punts, and the Ravens scored three points in the second half. Even the scoring drives, they were lengthy these third down conversions, And I think that's an example of how you can sort of identify roster strength and what you need. Because to be able to win these games, you have to execute not just over the course of a whole playoff run or even a game run, even within the context of a single drive. You're gonna have

to execute multiple different formulas to find victory. Like you have to have your power run game to convert some short yardage. You probably need your explosive passing game to back teams off and get yourself those chunk plays that ultimately put you in range to score points. You probably have to create some plays off script where the defense wins a call, because that happens all the time in

the National Football League. But this time of year, when you're going up against Mike McDonald, the Ravens genius coordinator's gonna be a head coach next year, Like your quarterback probably has to find a way to win a couple of plays that you didn't win on the call sheet.

I think that just the sustained drives are a good example of our splits as Miami Dolphins against disciplined or are good defenses, right because we tear up defenses that have busts, that don't communicate, that don't have good structure. We put forty on those teams every damn time. But the teams that come in and communicate, they have a veteran of green dot. They have versatile ranging middle linebackers.

They have good, smart, heady safeties, they have good press corns on the outside, they have guys that can win one on ones on the inside. Those teams that those defensive structures can give us issues. And I think that we didn't have enough thud in the power game, not enough short area separators. You know, we just have the two guys that can win, but beyond that, didn't have a third option in the passing game, and the quarterback's

not a threat in the pack in the running game. Right, Those are areas I think this Dolphins team can look to improve upon to find ways to compete in these critical games, which is obviously the next step for this football team. They've improved the offense, They've improved the defense, the special teams, and they got the right head coach, they have the right quarterback. They have to find ways to compete in these situations. I think that is one

way you can do that. But then also, you know, like all these narratives I just lifted off for the Miami Dolphins, what is it now for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore evens?

and they won a fun playoff game. But the Texans that was like the fourteenth best team in the NFL this year. I'm not like saying that was what put Lamar beyond this narrative, beyond reprieve from the fans that create these narratives. Now, I will say I think that Lamar is one of the best players in the NFL.

He's my probably i'll say second best quarterback. Mahomes probably took it back in the playoffs because of just the kind of Michael Jordan tom Brady mentality he's displayed here during this run and beating three good football teams to get to this point. But I think Lamar is still right there, and I don't think that being two and four in the playoffs changes that. I think it changes the one to two conversation for Mahomes and Lamar potentially or Josh Allen top three, whatever you might want to

say about it. But it's gonna be where they talk about all off season. And they had this great run they.

of ways you have to impact these quarterbacks. Because all year long, I thought vic was was pretty good this year, and I think very lowly of his decision making in professionalism.

and they did score wise, absolutely they did. They were the ones that gave us chances to win the offense at not one hundred percent agree with that. But but like in the Buffalo game, Buffalo drove the whole field the entire game because you won in the red zone and got some fluke turnovers that Alan forced in there and made some bad throws and YadA, YadA yad. I didn't get a DPI call on second down that first

drive against Caterko, who should have been a DPI. The Bills drove the field in this all game long, and all the great quarterbacks did that all year long. Baltimore fifty six points, like, hey, where's your DC at?

Special teams obviously, but the way these teams tackle on the perimeter against screens, the way they get their initial surge in the running game, and the way they collision forward opposed letting running backs run through them is such a critical difference in the game. Like watch Kyle Hamilton flow downhill on the perimeter and just handle so much. But then like the way that Roe, Kwan and Queen collision those backs at at the point of attack, same

with Bolton and Tranquill driving those ball carriers backwards. The difference sometimes between second and eight and second and five, And that's often the difference in a too high shel versus single high, which gives you more opportunities in the passing game. So it's not necessarily the yards, it's what the down distance gives you on the upcoming play. I thought, all these defenses this weekend, besides Detroit, do a really good job of making you earn more of those.

physicality is all about. They protected Golf so well early and he was dicing it up, and then they ran for big chunks, just moving them off the line of scrimmage late in that game, but then the mistakes got there and it turned the game around ultimately. I think my biggest takeaway is it's tough for us because the balance of the conferences right now, to me is very disproportionate. I think the best three best quarterbacks, in my opinion, in AFC. I think a lot of the best coaches

are in the AFC. And then you even have beyond that. I mean, like to a Burrow Strout, Lawrence Herbert, my god, to go to the Super Bowl in the AFC, you probably have to go through quite a gauntlet of like all good quarterback play. And look at Mahomes carefully navigating the Dolphins into Allen and the Bills, Lamar and the Ravens. And it wasn't his three hundred and fifty yard games

with four touchdowns. It was understanding game situation, managing it, creating it when you had to, and just committing to a game plan.

Next Draft Time podcast, your host Travis Wingfield, brought to you by Auto Nation position group number four on the twenty twenty three review of the Dolphins of Ross and we go to the tight end group here, and I wanted to put our shortest group on this long conversation about the championship games and Senior Bowl preview as we get into that here very shortly. I'm very excited about the Shar's class and having high draft picks once again.

We'll be talking to plenty of people that know about the draft, including I think myself a little bit as we go on the next couple of months. Let's go ahead, though, and look back at a tight end position group here.

It's going to be a quick segment. I think we start here a bit of detailing the makeup of the room in twenty twenty three and what some of us maybe thought it might look like in terms of a great tight end draft class right and attacking that position with the mindset of it being a critical point of your offensive attack.

your inability to find other separators against Buffalo. Man, there were so many chances against Buffalo to just win a matchup and convert a first down on top of the drop passes we had in the game, on top of the pick at the end of the game with a poor route and a poor decision from the quarterback. Like I think if they just would have had one of these guys to talk about here in the draft preview, they would have that game maybe could have been different.

Maybe you're hosting Buffalo instead of going to forty degrees below Kansas City, which, by the way, the Ravens, that great offense, scored ten points at home against that defense in a fifty degrees cooler or warmer temperatures. Just saying tight end room though, wasn't game breaking by any stretch.

Probably the least imaginative past receiving tight end room in the national Football League, and I think that you have to view that room in a way that's different than what maybe a casual football fan will because there are just roles from this group that more closely resemble what atlec Ingold does compared to I don't know, Michael Egnu right, probably a bad example. How about Julius Thomas is more like it, not going to block. Never saw a block

he liked, but we'll catch the football. Here's a good example. Eight hundred and thirty nine snaps for Durham smythe this year, only four hundred and fifty of those out into the pattern. The first comparable name that's more Michael Egnew than Durham Smith that came to my mind was Sam Laporta, the very good rookie draft pick of the Lions who was

not at all a blocking specialist at Iowa. Even though he plays for one of the best run teams in college football, one of the best run teams in the National Football League, he was a game breaking pass catcher. He played over one thousand snaps this year, and six hundred and fifty of those were out into the pattern, so a much bigger chunk of his workload as a

pass catcher compared to Miami's tight end one. But man, watching those games this weekend, I think the ability to have what we have here, but also someone that can threaten the seam and get vertical and make the explosive play. I keep thinking about Jake Ferguson for the Cowboys because watching the tape and then watching the game, he just

was so critical in that area for them. Like the ability to go thirteen personnel and assert your will in a downhill running game, but also get explosives from one of those guys if especially you go attached why out of eleven personnel? That type of versatility can make you so difficult to defend, especially this time of year when I think, my big guess, you know, learning point this postseason and thinking about previous postseasons is you gotta be versatile, man.

You have to have multiple ways to win football games. Let's go part by part here. Number eighty one Durham Smith let us and snaps thirty five catches three hundred and sixty six yards, did not score. I thought, by far Durham Smith's best year as a pro. I was very hard on Durham in twenty twenty one. I thought it was a bad fit. I thought the routes were bad, the inclusion of his game as a Pats receiver was

not a fit for him. I think they got better in twenty twenty two, and it got even better this year.

I think his ability to turn and pin some really tough defensive end outside linebacker types on the perimeter in the running game is a critical part of what we do to catch and climb with Austin or Tron off the tackle position in the running game, He's always in so such just controlled balance as he approaches as a blocker, keeps his base solid and underneath him as he explodes through his punch with steps into that punch, which opens up the explosiveness and allows you to control the rep

as a blocker, and we knew about that from his Notre Dame tape six years ago. But also despite limited opportunities as a pass catcher in college, he shows you some of the playmaking skills that he has as a receiver, and I thought we saw a little bit of that year. I liked the way he catches those little out routes and then pivots from route runner into ballcarrier and just gets north and south because if he gets hit at the seven yard, I should say, you know, three yards

from the sticks. He typically gets chopped down in a way that he falls forward and achieves that first down and gives you extra yards that four lean. Now, obviously, again, I think your off season plan if you want to improve this group is to get probably more explosive from the guy that plays seventy plus percent of your snaps. But I think this is a very high end tight end two, low end tight end one, and that's a

good position to be for DERMISMI theory. But beyond that Julian Hill eight number eighty nine six for forty eighth this year, I think there's something there, but it has to show up this year in order for me to be cool with Like the direction of the room, I

still think you had one. But anyway, I was so impressed by his work as that short motion kick out the backside and in split flow or just lead it all the way around the corner and take that play side outside zone play with you as a lead blocker, and for a rookie playing that position in this offense that has so much to undertake and at a position that I think is the hardest to learn offensively besides quarterback, because you have to learn routes, run game, and pass

pro No other position calls for all three of those besides quarterback. So for Julian that physicality man, like I mentioned the ability to go thirteen personnel, He's perfect in those settings. But I think there's meat on the bone for him to evolve as a pass catcher. And if he does that, if we get those exceptional blocking ancillary pieces, you're alec Ingold, You're Derham, Smite, Julian Hill, you know whoever it might be. As it were, they become real passing threats.

Chris Brooks. Getting contributions from these guys would be so critical Tyler Kroft number eighty two, didn't catch any footballs and active most of the year. Just I mean he's a death piece, right, Probably going to try to find better options there at number three on the team this year, so futures contract Tanner Connor still think he has some skills to play with and we'll see what his career looks like down the road.

for more explosiveness, especially from this group. Either way, I think it has to happen with someone that can align inside to give you that run game pass game flexibility. So either a big slot receiver tight end Noah Fanse a guy like in free agency. I'm still really bummed about Elijah Higgins leaving, but finding someone more equipped to run that position I think is a area of focus

for me this off season. Speaking of the off season, Senior Bowl coming up this week, let's go ahead and take our last.

left tackle, potentially Christian Wilkins replacement. Right, those are two big things that hang overhead that you're not quite sure about yet. I think we definitely need in their eligible slot tight end type. I think we definitely need in the off ball linebacker. I think we definitely need interior

offensive line help and safety depth as well. So that's where I'm gonna go and look at this and try to fit guys into those positions, and really just guys that I've watched this year is my key jumping off point. We start where else besides fight for Washington State. Cooks have three guys in this game this year. First, Shaw Smith Wighe a very very very modern day slot cornerback whose game I freaking love think Trent McDuffie, I'm not gonna call him a first team All Pro, but the

muscle Hamster, the Tasmanian double type. He played most of his time on the perimeter, but that's because he was one of our best players. I think his ability to recognize things and anticipate concepts, like I thought Kyle Hamilton's football acumen leads to anticipation, which leads to so many plays.

can actually cover. He flies all over the field. He hits, he hits, he hits some more like Smith Wade. He's smart as hell. I thought he'd come back and play one more year and shoot up the draft boards. But feisty at the catch point. He can match up with tight ends. He can blitz led all pack twelve safeties and QB pressures, and he's a tone setting hitter. Keep

an eye on those two guys this week. Also on a local guy, Cameron Kitchens from Miami, another safety with insane range and speed and ball skills to make him a real ball hawking threat on the back end. And if you want versatility, like Javon Holland plays all over the formation right. If he's paired with a player like Cameron Kinchins, you can essentially rotate your strong safety and free snapey on a snap by snap basis and keep defenses really guessing, kind of like Hoyer, Poyer and High

did in Buffalo for so many years. With all three of these dbs I mentioned the way they compete at the top of the route is how I want to watch him perform this week. Play to their level and just be on top what the receivers trying to do. Watch those one on one reps and get a good

feel for that. Another one's Cole Bishop from Utah hitter, striker, blitzer, slot safety, strong safety, type of player, fantastic in coverage with those skills down in the mess to make him, from my money, an easy Day two pick, possibly a second round if you don't go that way, just watch him bowie guys this week. He's ad Utah ute obviously a lot more than that, But those the DB's I'm watching so far up front. The first thing that pops off the list to me is a first round pick.

If you want to see Jalen Phillips part two two laya two lat tow from UCLA.

Brendon Jackson from also from Washington State. A super productive edge, great long arm, bowl rush combination that he's crafted over a long college career. He can play hand the dirt on even fronts, can stand up and drop back and coverage and odd fronts. I think there's some more seasoning that has to happen. That's why he becomes a Day three option. But watch him win with strength and repertoire of moves all week long. If you want a linebacker

this week, look at Tommy Eikenberg. That's Liam's brother from Ohio State football player over workouts, right, that's like a Zach Thomas type, excited to see where he matches up in in terms of the elite athletes this week. I don't think that he's close to that, but he's gonna have to win with his anticipation, his intelligence. He just plays so far ahead of his contemporaries in that regard. Hell of a blitzer in a football jeans guy, Ohio

State and the Eikenbergs are all football players. Perhaps my favorite player in the entire game is another linebacker here, NC State's Peyton Wilson. I'm not calling him like the player, but he reminds me of Brian urlacker Man huge. He's six foot four, so much range to interrupt passing lanes. And the speed and quicks to make it happen too like it reminds me of Fred Warner Kind if he's a round one pick if you remove the medical So

we'll see where he winds up going. But watch him this week because he's gonna stand out a big time. Peyton Wilson NC State probably a Round one, maybe a round two. But on the offensive line, if you want the best center in the nation, he's gonna be in this game. Depending on which one you want, Oregon's Jackson Powers Johnson and West Virginia's Zach Fraser.

he is that good, but even more physically gifted. I've got a ton of work on the offensive line to do with those two guys stand out to me at quarterback. I'm excited to watch Michael Pennix, the best pure passer to come out since Tua and then Joe Milton is like a poor man's Josh Allen or Anthony Richardson, Like he's got all the physical traits, but he's all over the place.

Remember my Darnell Washington obsession last year. This is the next guy of that ILK because there's more ability as a pass catcher. But he can align in line and I've seen him in that up back a gap position. You'll see teams sneak the running back up in two for Boitz pickup.

the Danny Mindols didn't do so much of. He can attack your leverage, sell you a bill of goods, runs after the catch, plays anywhere, and returns kicks like Laddi McConkie's game quite a lot. Xavier Laguette from South Carolina plays huge. He's a high point master, loves dropping the shoulder as a ball carrier after the fact.

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