Breaking Down the Addition of Tyler Kroft
The Miami Dolphins remained short on numbers at the tight end position following the 2023 NFL draft, so the addition of veteran Tyler Kroft on Tuesday certainly makes sense.
The eight-year veteran agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Dolphins, according to a tweet from his agent, Mike McCartney.
Kroft spent the 2022 season with the San Francisco 49ers, for whom he played 11 games with four starts.
Kroft had only four catches for 57 yards in those 11 games, playing more of a blocking role.
But it was in that capacity that his season perhaps will be remembered because it was Kroft that Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick beat to hit quarterback Brock Purdy to cause an elbow injury that changed the complexion of the NFC Championship Game.
A third-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2015 NFL draft, Kroft played his first four seasons with the Bengals before spending two years with the Buffalo Bills and then one with the New York Jets in 2021.
Kraft's NFL totals include 92 games, 52 starts, with 105 catches for 1,081 yards (10.3 average) and 13 touchdowns.
His best season came in 2017 when he started all 16 games for the Bengals and had 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. Kroft has no other season with more than 16 catches.
HOW TYLER KROFT FITS WITH THE DOLPHINS
Kroft becomes the fifth tight end on the roster, joining returning starter Durham Smythe, free agent acquisition Eric Saubert, second-year player Tanner Conner and rookie sixth-round pick Elijah Higgins, who's expected to switch to the position after playing wide receiver at Stanford.
The Dolphins began the 2022 season with five tight ends on their active roster, but that's an unusually high number and four is the more logical number to look for this summer.
At this time, it's fair to suggest that only Smythe and Saubert should be considered locks (or near-locks) to be on the 53-man roster, though Kroft's proven track record as a blocker — the miss against Reddick notwithstanding — should give him an edge over Conner and Higgins.
The signing of Kroft as opposed to going with a more established receiving tight end like former Tampa Bay starter Cameron Brate would suggest a bigger emphasis on blocking from the position in 2023 after the departures of 2018 second-round pick Mike Gesicki via free agency and 2021 third-round pick Hunter Long as part of the trade for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The best way to view Kroft is as a solid depth signing.
