The Miami Dolphins used their 197th pick to select Stanford wide receiver/tight end Elijah Higgins. A pass-catching threat, especially down the seam, he draws comparisons to an Evan Engram type of player.
At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Higgins is a possession receiver and a solid route runner. He can succeed in the slot and has very good overall receiving skills, as he has an excellent combination of size and speed.
Listed on most boards as a tight end, scouting sites have him as a big slot or an F-tight end. With wide receiver skills, as well as a mix of tight end, he could be a solid weapon and eventually make for a productive offensive player for the Dolphins.
Higgins is a decent run blocker, but he’ll make his money catching passes and creating first downs. In his senior season at Stanford, he caught 59 passes for 704 yards on an 11.9-yard average.
The former Cardinal will join Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and hybrid tight end/wide receiver Tanner Conner entering camp for the Dolphins, as general manager Chris Grier selected a need in the sixth round, much to the delight of Miami faithful.
Grier passed on the popular tight ends and will look to find value in a Stanford psychology major, who plays physical and has a track and field background.
He’s an interesting pick, with other bigger-framed tight ends on the board, but Higgins could be a chain-mover down the middle of the field for Miami, as he develops his NFL game.
The Dolphins have one remaining pick in this year’s draft, that being No. 238. And, it must be said, that assets originally part of this year’s draft were used to acquire both Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey.
