Many Dolphins fans and pundits were lukewarm to the Miami Dolphins’ decision in April of 2018 to draft then-Penn State tight end prospect Mike Gesicki over South Dakota State prospect Dallas Goedert. And for a long while, that skepticism appeared to be well deserved. Goedert was more of a traditional in-line option, which helped to ease his transition to the NFL level — whereas Mike Gesicki struggled as a rookie to learn to play with his hand in the dirt.
Fast forward to December of 2019 and the Dolphins have done right by Gesicki thanks to a new coaching staff, putting this decision back under the microscope. With the two tight end prospects clashing on the field in Week 13, it was Gesicki who looked like the more dynamic player.
Opportunity has thrust Gesicki into a bigger role in the Dolphins’ offense midway through year two of his pro career. The injuries to Preston Williams and other receiving targets as forced QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to find Gesicki more often and develop some chemistry, a key missing variable earlier this season as many throws up the seam floated just out of the grasp of Gesicki’s catch radius before falling harmlessly to the ground.
Of all the plays Gesicki has made over the last month, his touchdown against the Eagles was the most notable — because that’s how Gesicki scored so many times at the college level. The extension, the athleticism, the ball skills and the body control were all on display and it was arguably the first time we’ve seen the Dolphins successfully connect and translate those skills to the NFL field.
Air Gesicki @mikegesicki pic.twitter.com/qmX8YdD5OT
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 1, 2019
Does this justify Miami’s decision to take one player over the other? No, one play or one game never does. Neither does Gesicki’s 5-game stretch of 21 receptions for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns, easily the best stretch of his young career. But if this is the Mike Gesicki the Dolphins are going to get and he’s finally here to stay? Then yes, Miami was justified in their decision to draft him. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but on the heels of his coming out party against the New York Jets earlier this season, it is now fair to say that Mike Gesicki’s arrow is pointing up.
[vertical-gallery id=420193]