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With their second pick in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins added Michigan State tight end Dion Sims. The only non-Florida Gators pick in the fourth or fifth round by the Dolphins, Sims provides Miami the big bodied tight end the team needs. He will be able to serve as an inline blocker, but also has the hands to be an effective pass catcher in the offense.
But, that's just my cursory look at Sims. To get a better idea of what Sims brings to us, I turned to Chris Vannini from The Only Colors for an insider look.
In his article profiling Sims, Vannini wrote:
His numbers over his career haven't been eye-popping, but for various reasons (depth, injuries). What has never been deniable with Sims are his physical gifts. The measurables are above (6-foot-5, 276 pounds), and he has great athleticism. I mentioned the brief college basketball stint, but he also finished fourth for 2009 Michigan Mr. Basketball in high school.
MSU frequently split him out wide this past season. A couple times in previous years, MSU threw fade routes to him in the red zone. How many teams do that for a tight end?
For a guy with the body of an offensive lineman, he's surprisingly quick, though his route-running isn't always fluid. He has great hands for a bigger tight end. He's been considered by some to be the best blocking tight end in the draft, but I think that's partly based on his size, The reason he wasn't able to separate himself when the depth chart was crowded was because he had blocking problems. It did improve in 2012, but dealing with an ankle injury didn't help.
It was a little surprising to see him declare for the draft, given he didn't really prove himself in college. But the physical tools have always been there, and the scouts love his upside.
Click the link above to see the full write up on Sims. Thanks to Vannini for sharing his article with us.