Mike Gesicki

The Dolphins used the franchise tag to bring back Gesicki on the heels of a busy season in which he ranked third among tight ends in targets (112) and fifth in catches (73). That volume is exciting, but Gesicki didn’t do much with it, finishing eighth at the position with 780 yards while scoring only two touchdowns. The inefficiency on a per-catch basis can be chalked up to both Gesicki’s own shortcomings and those of QB Tua Tagovailoa, who will be under center for Miami again in 2022. The offense made significant additions, most notably bringing in Tyreek Hill. A receiving corps highlighted by Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson will demand plenty of targets, but defenses will have to focus most of their resources outside, which should leave Gesicki in favorable matchups over the middle. A third consecutive season north of 700 receiving yards is certainly within the 26-year-old’s grasp, but Gesicki may need to improve his blocking to maximize his potential. He often found himself off the field in running situations, including near the goal line, which helps explain why the 6-6, 250-pound Gesicki scored only twice in 2021 after finding paydirt 11 times the previous two seasons.

A 2018 second-round pick, Gesicki has a solid upward trend through three pro seasons, going from 202 yards to 570 to 703. He's missed only one game and dropped just two passes last year, but the Dolphins still don't seem to trust him as a blocker, allotting snaps shares of 65.0 and 62.4 percent the last two seasons. While most of the plays he misses are rushes, Gesicki also loses out on some chances to run routes in situations where the defense might not be expecting a pass. In any case, he finally showed off his athleticism in 2020, averaging a career-high 13.3 YPR (thanks in part to Ryan Fitzpatrick) and closing out the season with at least one 20-yard gain in seven consecutive games. He's never looked quite as explosive as his combine numbers — 4.54 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical — seem to suggest, but Gesicki's disappointing YAC averages (3.2 in both 2019 and 2020) are partially offset by catching more passes downfield. His 11.1 aDOT in 2020 placed third among tight ends, behind only Dan Arnold (12.6) and Jared Cook (11.5). It also doesn't hurt that Gesicki displayed solid chemistry with QB Tua Tagovailoa last year, catching 29 of 43 targets (67.4 percent) for 308 yards and three touchdowns.

A twice-per-decade TE in terms of combine testing, Gesicki has struggled to gain his footing through two seasons but finally showed some promising signs in December when he scored four of his five TDs and averaged 49.6 yards per game. Even then, his flurry was based on volume rather than efficiency, with a 51.3 percent catch rate and 6.4 YPT landing south of his marks for the full season. To be fair, the Miami offense wasn't exactly a beacon of efficiency, and Gesicki's catch rate looks a bit better given that his 9.8-yard average depth of target for the season was second to only Mark Andrews' 10.4 among 13 tight ends with 70-plus targets. Gesicki was actually the only one of that group to finish the year without a drop, but a 3.7 YAC average (10th) is weak stuff from a guy who placed first among TEs at the 2018 combine in the 40-yard dash (4.54 sec.), vertical jump (41.5 in.), broad jump (129 in.) and three-cone drill (6.76 sec.). Fortunately, Gesicki has every opportunity to channel his freakish athleticism into better results, as the Dolphins otherwise appear barren at tight end and also don't look so hot at running back or wide receiver. This is an interesting collision of talent and opportunity, albeit with the added roadblocks of a questionable offensive line and either Ryan Fitzpatrick or Tua Tagovailoa at QB.

Although Gesicki was a semi-regular for the Dolphins in his rookie year - he played 399 snaps and started seven of 16 games - he was seldom used as a pass catcher. He topped 31 yards receiving just once, didn't score a single touchdown and averaged 9.2 yards per catch. On the bright side, Gesicki was an active receiver during his Penn State days, not much went right for anyone in Miami last year, and tight end is one of the most difficult gigs for a young player to learn. Perhaps the new coaching staff - along with new quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick - will find a way to engage Gesicki in Year 2. The 23-year-old was one of the stars of the 2018 combine, and there's not much standing between him and a three-down role in Miami. At the very least, Gesicki should start the season on your watch list.

Rookie tight ends are commonly treated with skepticism in the fantasy community, though we occasionally see one break through (consider Evan Engram last year). Gesicki's YPC dropped 4.2 yards in his final Penn State season, but he otherwise remained productive, then dominated the rest of his position group at the 2018 Combine. Checking in at 6-6, 247, he finished first or second among tight ends in every drill, including a 4.54 40 time and 41.5-inch vertical jump. Although the aggregate move says you should fade rookies at this position, Gesicki has the athleticism and opportunity to be one of the rare exceptions. The Dolphins don't have much else at tight end, and they need to account for Jarvis Landry's 161 vacated targets.