Dolphins position coach fell in love with rookie in pre-draft process

The Miami Dolphins added a trio of wide receivers in the 2026 NFL draft who are getting a ton of attention, and rightfully so, but they also brought in a pair of tight ends over the course of the seven rounds. Miami's first pick at tight end was Will Kacmarek, who they took in the third round out of Ohio State. In five seasons between Ohio and Ohio State, the tight end appeared in 55 games and caught 65 passes for 761 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

After last weekend's rookie minicamp, Dolphins tight ends coach Ron Middleton shared his thoughts on Kacmarek. “Throwback tight end, hard-nosed," Middleton said (via the Miami Herald ). "He’s a tight end that can block [but] not a blocking tight end.

He can do other things, too — can stretch the field, has good hands. His physicality is second to none. And he’s smart and a good kid.

I interviewed him [on Zoom]. That was part of the evaluation process, and I fell in love with him. ” Miami will likely have Greg Dulcich as their top tight end in 2026, but Kacmarek has a real chance to take on the second spot in the room.