Miami Dolphins player claims they have the ‘strongest tight end in the NFL’

Julian Hill didn’t make a significant impact in his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins, but teammate Durham Smythe is claiming the 24-year-old “is the strongest tight end in the NFL.”

That is certainly high praise for an undrafted player out of Campbell University, the first from that school to make a 53-man NFL roster.

Hill has overcome a lot to make it to the NFL and carve out a role on the Dolphins offense.

As a high school quarterback in North Carolina, he suffered a knee injury that cost him his entire senior season, which in turn had an effect on his college recruiting process. He joined the Campbell team as a walk-on and was moved to tight end, where he eventually became an all-conference selection. He made 85 receptions for 1,218 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 48 college games.

Last season with the Dolphins, he appeared in 15 games, including four starts. He made six receptions for 48 yards, but at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, he is seen more as a key run-blocker on the edge.

Miami was the only NFL team to not have a touchdown reception by a tight end last season. In an effort to improve the position, the Dolphins this offseason added tight ends Jonnu Smith and Jody Fortson.

Smith in particular is expected to add a new element to the passing game as he is among the best in the league at the position in gaining yards after the catch.

Smythe is a veteran coming off his best season, posting career-highs of 35 receptions and 366 yards during the 2023 campaign.

With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa having secured the lucrative contract extension he was long seeking, the Dolphins offense is all systems go at training camp. Miami will need that unit to be at its best as it attempts to make the playoffs for a third straight season and win a playoff game for the first time in more than 20 years.

Armed with arguably one of the strongest tight ends in the league, the Dolphins have another unique component at their disposal as they try to achieve their lofty goals.