The Miami Dolphins open a three-day rookie minicamp on Friday, May 8.
Local reporters will likely have a brief viewing opportunity as well as player interviews.
Miami has 13 rookies to acclimate, not including undrafted additions.
“We’re going to play the best players,” Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said. “That’s the beautiful part about the culture, the competition that’s going to be at the forefront of everything we do. It doesn’t matter if you’re a second-round pick or you’re an undrafted free agent, if you’re an eight-year vet or a second-year player, if you give us the best chance to win on Sunday, you’re going to be one of the 11 on the field, or one of the 22 on the field.”
We can expect first-rounders Kadyn Proctor (G/T) and Chris Johnson (CB) to start right away. Jacob Rodriguez (LB) and Will Kacmarek (TE) should be in line for heavy snaps.
And really, any and everyone has a chance to play on this team, the youngest in the NFL.
Here is one quote about every one of the Dolphins’ 13 draft picks:
G/T Kadyn Proctor, 1st round
“We’re going to run the s*** out of the ball,” – Kadyn Proctor
CB Chris Johnson, 1st round
“When you watch Chris (Johnson), he’s got great feet, great balance and body control. He’s physical. He’s a big corner. He can play nickel, play outside corner. He’s got ball skills. I mean when you start checking the boxes for a defensive back, there weren’t really many left – there were none, really.” – Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan
LB Jacob Rodriguez, 2nd round
“I mean, he hits all the marks. He hits all the marks. Through the evaluation process obviously, it starts with the tape. Tape screams to you a guy that’s just a good football player. He’s physical. He’s tough. At the inside linebacker position in today’s game, you want to see guys that can play on third down, and obviously with his production, he proves that. He’s a blitzer. He’s coverage. It’s forced fumbles, it’s PBUs, it’s interceptions – he does it all.” – Assistant GM Kyle Smith
WR Caleb Douglas, 3rd round
“He’s got a long, rangy body. He’s got some very raw athleticism. I think what you’ll see for a tall, long-limbed receiver, long legs, long arms, he can really drop his weight. He’s got great flexibility. He’s got good athleticism and ball skills to adjust the ball in the air. He’s got to get stronger. If you were going to try to knock him on something, he’s got to get stronger, be able to get off press and some of the contested balls.” – Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan
TE Will Kacmarek, 3rd round
“He’s an unsung hero. You know, he’s a grimy, dirty, bite your face off type of dude. He’s going to be a difference maker for us in the run game.” – GM Jon-Eric Sullivan
WR Chris Bell, 3rd round
“I think most would tell you if he wouldn’t have gotten injured, he’s probably not sitting there anywhere close to where we got him. It was one of those deals where it sounds like he’s healing up great. I won’t put a date on it. We would expect him to help us this year, but it’s a long-term investment. We felt like the talent is very high. The upside is very high.” – Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan
Edge Trey Moore, 4th round
“He’s shifty. It’s like he’s a jack of all trades when it comes down to lining up. When he walked down the edge, he’ll hit you with a heavy spin, or the next one, he’ll hit you with the full spin; so he’ll kind of try to shake off a little bit, and then he got some unexpected power he got to him so he works long on you. He’ll catch you off guard with that one.” – Dolphins rookie G DJ Moore, a Texas teammate
LB/S Kyle Louis, 4th round
“There’s guys that were here and we did – obviously we added a safety. We added Chris (Johnson), and then really even getting Kyle (Louis), who’s got the versatility – I know he’s listed as a linebacker, but I think you’re going to see him move around and do some things back there (at safety) as well.” – Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley
S Michael Taaffe, 5th round
“[He] embodies everything that that Coach (Jeff) Hafley and Jon-Eric (Sullivan) want to build here with his makeup. Former walk on that has just busted his tail to earn everything that he’s been given. He’s going to embody the competitiveness, the toughness. Extremely football intelligent player.” – Senior personnel executive Jon Robinson
WR Kevin Coleman, Jr., 5th round
“Dynamic kid. I started watching him last summer actually, when he was at Mississippi State. [He’s] just a playmaker, has a great feel for the game. A little more undersized than some of the other receivers we’ve taken, but very tough. Has a great feel for route running, spatial awareness, just been a playmaker on offense and on special teams there.” – Matt Winston, director of college scouting
TE Seydou Traore, 5th round
“He’s kind of a very raw, athletic ball of clay, if you will. He can move. He’s an interesting athlete. He’s got twitch, he’s got speed. He’s got good hands.” – Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan
G DJ Campbell, 6th round
“To me, he’s an o-lineman that can play d-tackle, like he’s that athletic and he’s that freakish. I’ve seen him dunking and doing crazy things, he’s a freak athlete.” – Dolphins rookie edge Trey Moore, a Texas teammate.
Edge Max Llewellyn, 7th round
“First of all, he’s a great kid, hard worker. Any time you get a pass rusher this late in the draft, it’s obviously critical. I didn’t expect him to be there. It’s an Iowa guy. Competitive, he can apply pressure, good length, he’s a taller player. I mean, everything you want as a defensive end, especially this late in the process.” – Dolphins senior national scout Ron Brockington
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins rookie minicamp about to start: Comments on all 13 draft picks