The Great Gesicki Challenge

Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki says he needs all the work he can get during the preseason with a new scheme, new position, new responsibilities

Mike Gesicki’s position hasn’t changed on the Miami Dolphins’ official depth chart, but it absolutely has changed on the field.

Gesicki is trying to switch from a “big wide receiver” to a traditional tight end tasked with blocking. This and his contract situation — he’s playing on the franchise tag this season — has put Gesicki’s ability to earn reps with the Dolphins in doubt, both right now and in the future.

Gesicki gets heavy work load in preseason

In the Dolphins preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, Gesicki played much deeper into the game than most of Miami’s expected starters, and his poor pass blocking was at least partly responsible for Miami allowing a safety in the second quarter.

“I need it,” Gesicki said after the game. “I need all the reps I can get. I mean, I played receiver last year, I’ve played receiver the past three or four years. I’m playing tight end now and any reps I can get live, out there blocking, putting my hands on another guy and going out there, working hard and blocking; honestly just working on my footwork and my hand placement, all that kind of stuff. Any reps I can get at that, I can use it.”

Gesicki got plenty of reps against Las Vegas. He led all Dolphins tight ends by playing 25 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, but he wasn’t a stalwart out there. PFF tagged Gesicki with a 50.9 run blocking grade, which is backed up by film review.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said postgame he thinks Gesicki was close to making some big plays, but he was referring to the receiving game. Gesicki didn’t hold on to a tight-window throw that would have converted a third down. In his defense, he would have taken a big hit from the Raiders safety had he held on to the ball.

“He needs to continue what he is doing, which is completely committing in the run and pass game to the offense,” McDaniel said. “He is a couple plays on the ball away from having a really good game that he feels really good about. He knows that. I know that. That’s one of the reasons why he stayed in the game because he was frustrated.”

Can Gesicki become a good blocker?

Despite McDaniel’s mostly positive tone, there is no evidence to suggest Gesicki will ever be even an average blocking tight end, which is required in the team’s new offense.

Gesicki finished 2021 with an overall Blown Block Rate of 2.5 percent, which ranked fifth on the Dolphins, according to Sports Info Solutions. For reference, Durham Smythe — Gesicki’s main competition for reps — finished with a 1.2 percent Blown Block Rate.

Things get grimmer for Gesicki when snap counts are factored in. Smythe had 412 blocking snaps last season compared to Gesicki’s 119, and he blew fewer blocks than Gesicki.

Essentially, no matter whether Gesicki is run blocking or pass blocking, the Dolphins have a better chance of having a successful play with Smythe on the field — unless Gesicki is targeted in the passing game.

Getting away from last season, Dolphins tight end coach Jon Embree said Sunday that Gesicki has improved as a blocker during training camp but also noted he's “still got a ways to go.”

“I think it’s something he’s embraced from day one,” Embree said. “He hasn’t shied away from it. I know there’s been times it hasn’t been pretty. I know there’s times he’s been like, ‘This sucks,’ but he’s also improved. We had a conversation last week before Tampa, and I just wanted to acknowledge to him that he has gotten better.”

Checking out Gesicki's past and his possible future

In fairness to Gesicki, when he was drafted out of Penn State in 2018, then-coach Adam Gase planned to use him as an oversized wide receiver. He wasn’t a good blocker at Penn State, and it wasn’t supposed to be his role in the NFL.

Nobody is denying Gesicki’s prowess as a receiver. He’s been one of the team’s most consistent and productive receiving threats the past three seasons, as he’s gone over 700 yards two straight years.

He’s good when compared to the rest of the league, too. Since 2020, Gesicki has the fifth-most receiving yards among NFL tight ends.

That receiving prowess is what makes Gesicki a potentially attractive trade piece for the Dolphins, which is something they should at least consider.

Yes, Gesicki’s receiving ability could help the Dolphins this season, but the team is fairly deep at receiver. Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Cedrick Wilson are proven commodities, while Erik Ezukanma, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Trent Sherfield have all at least flashed at various points this summer.

Whatever happens, Gesicki is going to keep working through his struggles.

“Oh yeah, it’s definitely a whole different offense and a whole different scheme,” Gesicki said. “I’m learning a new position basically, so it’s been good. It’s been exciting, and I think there has been a lot of progress, but obviously a lot more to go, so it’s been something that I look forward to continuing to attack.”