The Miami Dolphins’ 2019 undrafted free agent talent provided the team with several promising talents who were able to make a big splash and impact on the team last season. The most prominent of the group was wide receiver Preston Williams, who entered the NFL as a gifted but troubled prospect and was considered a player that would need strong coaching to help him reach his potential.
The early returns for Williams are strong — he was in position to challenge for a 1,000 yard rookie season as an undrafted prospect before a knee injury prematurely ended his season at the halfway point. It was a brutal blow to the Dolphins’ receiving corps, which became a one man show with DeVante Parker tearing up the box score each week.
In 2020, the Dolphins have another physically gifted UDFA wide receiver in the building — former Oregon Duck, Texas A&M Aggie and Arkansas Red Wolves receiver Kirk Merritt. Merritt, who also spent one season at East Mississippi Community College after being dismissed from the Aggies for two charges of indecent exposure — he pled no contest — will serve as Miami’s next opportunity to secure a talented pass catcher via the UDFA pool.
Unlike Williams, Merritt has elite athletic testing. He was reportedly credited with the following numbers at an unofficial pro day this spring:
- 4.33 in the 40-yard dash
- 4.02 in the 20-yard shuttle
- 45.5-inch vertical jump
- 23 bench press reps
- 11’3” broad jump
If nothing else, we can confirm that Merritt’s hops are for real — after Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had a box jump go viral, Merritt posted a “response” on social media of him hitting a 62-inch box jump with relative ease.
🤷🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/ztSTJJekoy
— Kirk Merritt (@kirkmerritt33) May 25, 2020
Whether or not Merritt will carve out a role for himself in Miami is yet to be determined. But as a former 4-star recruit of the Oregon Ducks, Merritt clearly has the physical gifts to be a player at the NFL level. He’ll need the tutelage of Brian Flores and his staff to ensure he’s channelling his skills in a healthy manner — but if that comes together Merritt may be Miami’s second consecutive steal at wide receiver from the UDFA pool.