JUST IN: Miami Dolphins training camp preview: Special teams could secure Tahj Washington’s 53-man roster spot
The Miami Dolphins drafted Tahj Washington in the seventh round of April’s draft.
Positional adaptability is a dealmaker while finishing up the 53-man roster. While potential open doors might be scant behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Odell Beckham Jr., seventh-round new kid on the block wide collector Tahj Washington’s extraordinary groups experience makes a convincing case for a first day of the season roster spot.
The Miami Dolphins battled in unique teams last season, permitting an association most exceedingly terrible normal of 30.5 yards on opening shots. Rick Gosselin, who’s covered the NFL for 50 years, positioned Miami as the association’s second-most horrendously terrible unique groups unit in 2023.
The Dolphins marked a couple of unique groups pros Cam Brown and Siran Neal to reshape the unit. Brown, a previous 6th round pick of the New York Goliaths, remains at 6′ 5 and played no less than 80% of New York’s unique groups snaps in every one of the last four seasons. Neal, 6’0, spent the past five seasons nagging rival groups as a heavy weapons specialist for the Bison Bills.
A couple of free-specialist augmentations is a beginning however at 5’10, 174 pounds, Washington can likewise assist with pushing Miami’s exceptional groups in the correct course.
“Washington’s measurables could neutralize him during the assessment cycle, yet his seriousness and consistency ought to adjust that out fairly,” NFL.com’s Spear Zierlein wrote in a draft profile. “He’s courageous into the center of the field and is a willing forced blocker to leave vast collector sets. Washington is a capable return man and has some genuine canine in him in inclusion groups. He ought to go on Day 3 and will battle for a list spot as a WR5 with extraordinary groups esteem.”
Washington began his college career with Memphis in 2019 and moved to USC in 2021. He was an All-Pac-12 Fair Notice with 785 getting yards and six scores in 2022. He procured the honor again in 2023 with a group high 59 gatherings for 1,062 yards while dropping only one of 74 targets. He displayed dependability, readiness to impede downfield, and hazardousness as an opening beneficiary.
In spite of proceeded with development on offense, Washington stayed unyielding about assuming a part in exceptional groups.
“Unique groups has forever been a piece of my game,” Washington said subsequent to being drafted by Miami. “Mentors have needed to implore me throughout the years to take perhaps one off and that’s what things like. Heavy weapons specialist on dropkick, corner on dropkick return, opening shot returner, off returner, a great deal of history in unique groups. I love to contend.
“Whenever I persuade the chance to be on the field, I need to be out there.”
Washington procured 99 getting yards and two scores while approximately 20 different players passed on of USC’s 42-28 Occasion Bowl prevail upon Louisville on Dec. 27. He may not see many snaps as a seventh-round new kid on the block in a group stacked with collector ability. Yet, he’ll sure capitalize on every one.
“He might have had an incredible case for not playing [in the bowl] game yet anyone that realizes Tahj realized there was a zero percent chance that he planned to pass on this game,” USC mentor Lincoln Riley said following the success. “That is the reason he will be an extraordinary star.”
