Elijah Higgins – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Instant analysis of Dolphins selecting OT Ryan Hayes with pick No. 238

Making sense of the last pick.

The Miami Dolphins have concluded their 2023 draft process by selecting Michigan offensive tackle Ryan Hayes with pick No. 238.

Hayes played left tackle for the Wolverines and was a second-team All-Big Ten player for two consecutive seasons. He was part of a unit that won two straight Joe Moore Awards for the best offensive line in college football. He was also a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Honoree. He even was a 2022 graduate student last season.

The knock on his ability to play tackle in the pros is due to reports of limited arm length, but he has great size for the interior. He’s powerful and has football smarts, but he does need work in overall fundamentals, including footwork. He could do well in a system like Miami has with their RPO and play actions.

Hayes is a technically sound blocker, with fine size for the pros at 6-foot-6 and 298 pounds. He could be a quality left-guard candidate to compete with Liam Eichenberg, if he moves to the interior as some predict. In a pinch, he could be a quality competitor in camp at multiple areas of the line, while providing backup depth for veteran Terron Armstead.

The pass protection could use some fine-tuning, but Hayes is clearly very coachable and has a good combination of size and strength. He has a solid overall athletic background, playing baseball and basketball as well in high school. He also has a pedigree in athletics, with both of his parents being athletes and his brother, too, playing for the University of Pittsburgh.

Hayes makes for a very quality capper of a pick, in a draft process that checked off a number of needs for the Dolphins, especially taking into account the fact their missing picks, this year, are Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey.

The Dolphins have had a productive offseason thus far, with more free agents on the market, and a post-June 1 scrap heap of potential cuts on the way. Not to mention the $13.6 million in cap space that is returning to the Dolphins with the official release of cornerback Byron Jones.

As the 2023 NFL draft comes to a close, Miami will certainly have a long list of undrafted free agents that’ll be added to this year’s rookie class of cornerback Cam Smith, running back Devon Achane, tight end Elijah Higgins and offensive lineman Ryan Hayes.

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WATCH: New Dolphins WR/TE Elijah Higgins’ highlights

How did his play look in college?

The Miami Dolphins used pick No. 197 on Stanford wide receiver Elijah Higgins, giving head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa another weapon to work with.

Higgins is expected to transition to tight end at the professional level, as he told the media that he’s already spoken with positional coach Jon Embree.

Before the former Cardinal steps on the field in aqua and orange, fans should take a look at what he was able to do during his collegiate career.

If he can attack the middle of the field like this in the NFL, he could be extremely useful with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle opening things up underneath.

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Instant analysis of Dolphins drafting Stanford WR/TE Elijah Higgins

What made Miami want to draft him?

The Miami Dolphins used their 197th pick to select Stanford wide receiver/tight end Elijah Higgins. A pass-catching threat, especially down the seam, he draws comparisons to an Evan Engram type of player.

At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Higgins is a possession receiver and a solid route runner. He can succeed in the slot and has very good overall receiving skills, as he has an excellent combination of size and speed.

Listed on most boards as a tight end, scouting sites have him as a big slot or an F-tight end. With wide receiver skills, as well as a mix of tight end, he could be a solid weapon and eventually make for a productive offensive player for the Dolphins.

Higgins is a decent run blocker, but he’ll make his money catching passes and creating first downs. In his senior season at Stanford, he caught 59 passes for 704 yards on an 11.9-yard average.

The former Cardinal will join Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and hybrid tight end/wide receiver Tanner Conner entering camp for the Dolphins, as general manager Chris Grier selected a need in the sixth round, much to the delight of Miami faithful.

Grier passed on the popular tight ends and will look to find value in a Stanford psychology major, who plays physical and has a track and field background.

He’s an interesting pick, with other bigger-framed tight ends on the board, but Higgins could be a chain-mover down the middle of the field for Miami, as he develops his NFL game.

The Dolphins have one remaining pick in this year’s draft, that being No. 238. And, it must be said, that assets originally part of this year’s draft were used to acquire both Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey.

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Dolphins select Stanford WR Elijah Higgins with pick No. 197

He could play TE in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins had a long wait again on Saturday, as their first selection of Day 3 didn’t come until pick No. 197.

Miami opted to stay put again instead of moving around up or down the board, and with that sixth-round pick, they selected wide receiver/tight end Elijah Higgins from Stanford.

The Dolphins actually met with Higgins prior to the draft.

In 27 collegiate games, Higgins recorded 119 receptions for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns.

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Dolphins hosted Stanford WR Elijah Higgins ahead of draft

He could transition to TE in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins will add some young talent to their roster over the next few days, as the 2023 NFL draft is upon us.

While general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel don’t have many picks at their disposal, they have needs that they should try to address.

One of their biggest holes is tight end, as the Dolphins have only three currently rostered – Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and Tanner Conner.

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Miami recently hosted Stanford wide receiver Elijah Higgins, who could transition to tight end as he enters the NFL, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Wilson, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 238 pounds, recorded 119 receptions for 1,380 yards and six touchdowns during his 27-game career as a Cardinal.

At the combine, the wideout recorded a 4.54-second 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical jump and a 7.01-second three-cone drill.

He could fit a valuable role in McDaniel’s offense and, as a mid-round projection, the Dolphins should have the opportunity to grab him if they want him, even if it requires some moving up or down the board.

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NFL Draft: Rise of the power slot

The Minnesota Vikings need a wide receiver in the NFL Draft and @TheKevinFielder believes that could by taking a power slot.

The Minnesota Vikings face a predicament on offense that will only be figured out with time.

With just 15 months on the job, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are attempting to build their brand of offense but the opportunities to do so have been limited.

This free agency has signaled a significant step in that direction, though. After releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen and signing tight end Josh Oliver, it seems like the Vikings will shift to more two tight end sets. This is a far cry from how the offense operated last season.

While such a move should help boost the Vikings’ chances on the ground, significant work has to be done. The Vikings won’t live in 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) all game and will have to run the ball out of 11 personnel eventually.

Currently, the Vikings are operating incompletely in this sense, and it seems like they’ll continue to struggle on the ground when they head into 11 personnel.

There is a solution, however, and it involves embracing a shift in football: power slots.

Wide receiver prospects for Chargers to watch at 2023 Senior Bowl

Profiling the wide receivers at the 2023 Senior Bowl that could be on the Chargers’ radar.

The Senior Bowl game kicks off on Saturday, February 4th, after a full week of practice, evaluation, and interviews for nearly 100 of college football’s top senior players. To get prepared, Chargers Wire will preview each position group set to compete in Mobile, Alabama, continuing today with the wide receiver group.

Los Angeles will, presumably, be looking for speed at receiver this offseason after failing to consistently stretch the field all season despite Justin Herbert’s talents. But Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley have been clear: speed is nice, but any future Chargers receiver also needs to be able to win at every level of the field.

Know your foe, Stanford: Which Cardinals could give Notre Dame problems

Who should the Irish key in on? Find out here

The Cardinal are entering this game on a six-game losing streak, not exactly ideal as they face off against as an Irish team that is hitting their stride. This should be a fairly easy contest for Notre Dame, but that doesn’t mean the Cardinal will just roll over. Here are five Stanford player who could give Notre Dame problems.