Five best 2nd Rounders for the Miami Dolphins since 2013
By Scott Fisher
Mike Gesicki, Tight End, Penn State
I remember going into the 2018 draft hoping for two things – a tight end and a quarterback, particularly Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson. We may not have gotten a quarterback that year but we did get a tight end – two actually.
In the second round, with the 42nd overall pick, the Miami Dolphins drafted tight end Mike Gesicki out of Penn State. The second tight end drafted that year, behind Hayden Hurst in the 1st, Mike would be taken ahead of guys like Dallas Goedert, Dalton Schultz, Mark Andrews, and teammate Durham Smythe.
Primarily a receiving tight end, known for having a gap in his play when it comes to blocking, Gesicki would be asked by HC Adam Gase to do the unthinkable in his rookie season – spend a lot of time blocking. It didn’t go very well. He graded out as a 50 according to PFF – the lowest grade of his career.
Under Brian Flores, Gesicki would thrive as one of the primary slot-receiving threats – largely because the team didn’t invest much into the wide receiver core. Even under Mike McDaniel in 2022, Gesicki would do a bit more blocking but still played the role of a big-bodied slot receiver.
During his five seasons with the team, Mike Gesicki would achieve 2,617 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns, with a catch percentage of 62.4%. Mike went on to receive the franchise tag in 2022 and a 1-year deal with the New England Patriots in 2023.