Miami Dolphins drafting Hunter Long was a mistake even with Ramsey trade
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins traded for Jalen Ramsey and part of that deal included tight end Hunter Long making him another draft-day bust.
Miami, specifically Chris Grier, has had good draft picks and a slew of bad ones. Hunter Long is one of the latter. Grier shipped Long off to the Rams even though the move would leave Miami with only one tight end, Durham Smythe on the roster. He even threw in a 3rd round pick to get that six-time Pro Bowl corner.
Should we consider Long a bust? Absolutely, at least as it relates to the Dolphins. Even though he was part of what looks to be a fantastic trade, in Miami’s favor, the Long draft selection wasn’t a good one.
Drafted in round three, many believed that Long would be the eventual replacement for Mike Gesicki but Long couldn’t get healthy and when he was, he couldn’t get on the field.
Long played in 16 games in his two years with the Dolphins and caught a single pass on three targets for 8 yards.
Looking back, the Dolphins should have drafted center Quinn Meinerz who has played well in Denver over the past two seasons.
Miami didn’t really need a tight end when they selected Long and now that he has moved on, or will officially on Wednesday, the Dolphins will have to add at least three tight ends to the roster in free agency and the draft.
Miami now only has Durham Smythe signed after trading Long and releasing Cethan Carter as Luke Allen discussed yesterday.
As for Long, maybe he develops in L.A. He has the physical talent to be a good tight end but in Miami, he just couldn’t take it to the next level.