Talking Gesicki: Summer School, Where He Ranks, His Cloudy Future

Thoughts on where Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki ranks among his peers in the NFL and his future

As they prepare for the 2021 season, the Miami Dolphins will be counting on getting significant contributions from their recent draft classes.

That would include tight end Mike Gesicki, a second-round pick in 2018 who has developed into a factor for the Miami passing game.

But exactly where does Gesicki rank among NFL tight ends?

That's just one of the current topics involving Gesicki these days.

GESICKI'S PLACE AMONG NFL TIGHT ENDS

Pro Football Focus has begun unveiling its player rankings at different positions entering the 2021 season, and got around to the tight ends Wednesday.

Gesicki came in at number 8 among the top 32, which would place him in the top fourth of the league.

That's certainly a respectable spot for Gesicki, who had 53 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 2020 after posting a 51-570-5 line the year before.

Among the seven tight ends ranked above Gesicki, the one who stands out clearly was Atlanta Falcons rookie Kyle Pitts, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft. He was ranked fourth.

The other in the top seven, in order, were Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Darren Waller, Dallas Goedert, Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson.

Of note, Gesicki was ranked ahead of the two tight ends signed in free agency by the New England Patriots, Hunter Henry (ranked 10th) and Jonnu Smith (12th).

TIGHT END UNIVERSITY

Gesicki obviously is looking to improve not so much to move up in those kind of rankings but to become an even better NFL player and help the Dolphins offense even more.

To that end, he posted on Twitter on Tuesday that he'll be attending this summer the tight end camp organized by Kelce, Kittle and recently retired Greg Olsen.

"Tight End University" will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, and will involve NFL tight ends from around the league working out together and sharing tips.

CLOUDY FUTURE

Of course, any discussion in regards to Gesicki has to include his contract status because it is a significant story.

As Dolphins fans should know by now, Gesicki is headed into the final year of his rookie contract, which means he's on track to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason barring an extension or new contract.

Maybe it's crazy to suggest that the Dolphins would allow Gesicki to leave given he's been among the most productive receiving tight ends in the NFL.

But here's the thing: Fellow tight end Durham Smythe also is scheduled to become a UFA next offseason; the Dolphins just spent a third-round pick on Hunter Long; and the roster currently features seven tight ends — Gesicki, Smythe, Long, Adam Shaheen, Chris Myarick, free agent pick-up Cethan Carter and rookie free agent Jibri Blount.

Given that the Dolphins signed Shaheen to a two-year contract extension last October, it would figure he'll be on the roster, and the same goes for Carter, who was signed to a three-year contract this offseason.

So it really doesn't stretch the imagination very much to suggest that the selection of Long might result in the Dolphins moving Gesicki and/or Smythe.

And while it's easy to suggest Smythe is a lot more expendable because he's not a big factor in the passing game, just remember that it's Smythe who actually started the most games at tight end each of the past two seasons. And that's because he's the most reliable blocker on the roster.

It's not impossible, of course, that either Smythe or Gesicki will sign a contract extension before the 2021 NFL season, but the Dolphins have significant players heading into a contract year at other positions, most notably Emmanuel Ogbah and Jerome Baker.

So, again, the situation is cloudy.