Before the Miami Dolphins traded Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, there was going to be an interesting camp battle at tight end. When they traded for Darren Waller, that didn't change.
Miami will enter camp with two clear starters: Waller and Pharaoh Brown. Brown will be the Dolphins' top blocking tight end. Waller isn't bad at blocking, but it isn't his forte. He should be better than Smith, however.
With two of what should be no more than four roster spots, the competition for the final two will be a good one to watch.
The wild card in all of this will remain Julian Hill. Hill has not been able to impress the fan base or the media with his blocking skills or his pass-catching ability, but has done enough to get the coaches in his corner, and that is all it takes.
Fans may not want to hear this, but Hill is likely taking the third spot on the unit. It would leave one spot, with three players competing for what might be a fourth.
Dolphins' tight end unit should be a lot of fun to watch once training camp starts
Tanner Conner may be on his final opportunity with Miami. He has the tools to be a good tight end, but health has been an issue that has kept him from moving forward. When he is healthy, he has shown an ability to be reliable.
The Dolphins added Hayden Rucci as an undrafted free agent last offseason. He spent his time primarily on the practice squad last year, but will be trying to prove he is more valuable on the active 53. To do that, he needs to beat out Conner and stave off another undrafted addition.
Jalin Conyers has a lot of potential. He should have been drafted last April. Tight end is hard to learn, so the chances of him showing more would be surprising. But then again, Hill did just that as an undrafted player.
While Waller and Brown hold down the first two spots, what happens with the final one or two spots is going to get quite competitive later this month.