Miami Dolphins Rookie Report for Week Nine

We are officially halfway through the 2017 Miami Dolphins season. With eight games down and eight games to go, it will be interesting to see just how much momentum the Dolphins may have earned from such a close loss to the Oakland Raiders this past Sunday night.

However, that is another discussion for another time. Right now, let’s take a look at just how well the rookies played during this second straight primetime defeat.

Cordrea Tankersley — Cornerback

Week 9 Stats: 62 defensive snaps (96.9%), Three tackles, One Pass Deflection

Recording three tackles and a pass deflection in this past Sunday’s loss, Cordrea Tankersley continues to assert himself as this team’s best cornerback option. Vastly outplaying Xavien Howard in my eyes, Tankersley has likely locked down a starting job in Miami for years to come.

Charles Harris — Defensive End

Week 9 Stats: 29 defensive snaps (45.3%), One tackle, One Fumble Recovery

While the Fumble recovery was nice, the single tackle again worries me. At some point and time, we are going to have to start seeing true numbers and stats from Harris. That said, I did enjoy his pursuit and hustle this week, showing that he could be really close to potentially breaking out this season.

Davon Godchaux — Defensive Tackle

Week 9 Stats: 37 defensive snaps (57.8%), Five tackles, One Pass Deflection

Five tackles and one pass deflection. If you would have told me before the season began that I could eventually come to expect this from a rookie fifth round pick, I would have made the deal with the devil. Going forward, look for Godchaux to continue to get a majority of the snaps as he asserts himself as the true number two to Ndamukong Suh.

Chase Allen — Linebacker

Week 9 Stats: One defensive snaps (1.6%), 22 special team snaps

Once again this week, Chase Allen was limited to almost an exclusive special teams role. Don’t ask me why. In my opinion, Chase Allen may be a future star in this team’s linebacking corps. While I expect Allen to remain in this role for the remainder of the season, I do hope that he has a future beyond this season with the Dolphins.

Matt Haack — Punter

Week 9 Stats: Five punts, 221 total yards, 44.2 average

Recording five punts for 221 total yards this past Sunday, Matt Haack had somewhat of a bounce back game for the Dolphins. Recording a long punt of 54 yards, Haack did just enough this week to likely keep the wolves at bay. However, should he have another down performance in the coming weeks, it could soon mean curtains for his time in Miami.

Torry McTyer — Cornerback

Week 9 Stats: Seven special teams snaps

Moving back into his role as a special teams player this week, Torry McTyer remains someone that could develop in the future. Playing his role this season, look for McTyer to be heard from a little bit more once the 2018 preseason and training camp period rolls around.

Maurice Smith — Safety

Week 9 Stats: 18 defensive snaps (28.1%), 13 special teams snaps, One tackle, One Pass Deflection

Moving back into the lineup for the first time since the week 3 loss against New Orleans, Maurice Smith saw a significant amount of snaps on defense. Playing in just over a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps this past week, look for Smith to see less of a role in the coming games with T.J. McDonald returning to the team following his eight game suspension.

Week 8 Rookie Scratches: Isaac Asiata (G), Maurice Smith (S), Vincent Taylor (DT)

Dolphins Rookies on Injured Reserve: Raekwon McMillan (LB), Eric Smith (OT), Isaiah Ford (WR)