The Miami Dolphins are riding high after a dominant Week 8 win against the Atlanta Falcons. They held the Kirk Cousins-led offense to just 10 points and poured in 34 themselves, leading to their first win since Week 4 and their first blowout victory of the year.
While things went well offensively for Mike McDaniel and Co. on Sunday, they still can't seem to get any consistent production from the tight end position. Darren Waller was a nice addition, albeit a flash in the pan, but, as expected, he's on the Injured Reserve with a pectoral injury.
Now, the Dolphins have a skeleton crew at tight end with Julian Hill also out. So, Tanner Conner and practice squad elevation Greg Dulcich will fill out the unit for the foreseeable future. If only Chris Grier had made the sensible decision in April to draft a franchise legacy who is already making an impact.
Dolphins missed out on legacy TE in Oronde Gadsden II
Oronde Gadsden was a solid wide receiver for the Dolphins at the turn of the century, as he was a pivotal part of four playoff teams during his four-year peak with the franchise. Unfortunately, his career was derailed by injuries, but he spent all six years in Miami.
His son, Oronde Gadsden II, was eligible to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is a bit bigger than his dad was, standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 236 pounds, which made him a formidable tight end prospect coming out of Syracuse.
Miami desperately needed a tight end, as before they traded for Waller, they had just Jonnu Smith, Hill and Conner on the roster. However, despite Gadsden II lasting until the 165th overall pick in the fifth round, the Dolphins passed on him five times.
RELATED: Dolphins take another hit to the TE room leaving fans wondering why they care
Gadsden II has absolutely lit it up for the Los Angeles Chargers so far during his rookie season, but especially during the last three games. He's amassed 27 catches for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2025, 19 catches, 309 yards and both touchdowns of which have come in the last three weeks.
Just as Gadsden is heating up and making a major impact for Justin Herbert and the Chargers, the Dolphins' tight end room is in dire straits. Miami had three fifth-round picks, which gave them three opportunities to nab this franchise legacy, but they failed to, and it's coming back to bite them.
To make matters worse, several rookie tight ends are thriving in their first NFL season. While the Dolphins weren't likely to take a premier player like Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren, mid-to-late-rounders like Mason Taylor, Elijah Arroyo, Harold Fannin Jr. and Gunnar Helm are all making an impact.
Whatever McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa figured out against a solid Falcons defense on Sunday certainly needs to be replicated. But that doesn't mean they couldn't have benefited from making this obvious draft pick.