The Dolphins needed a center. They got one in the first round. They needed a running back. They got one in the second round. So what would they do with their first pick on the final day of the NFL Draft?
Well, they needed a speedy wide receiver. And they got one.
Miami devoted a fourth-round selection to pick Abilene Christian Edmond Gates, a player who is expected to provide the final piece to a wide receivers corps that lacked a high-end deep threat last season.
Whether Gates can make a successful transition into the NFL remains to be seen – but there’s no question about his speed. Running a 4.37 at the Scouting Combine, Gates actually said that’s the slowest he’s ever been timed at.
The fastest?
“I ran a 4.21,” he said Saturday. “But that was on a track surface.”
Now, it’s time for the Dolphins to help him become an NFL star. They’ll need to polish up an athlete who was far more focused on basketball until he ended up at Abilene Christian following a hoops stint in junior college.
In 2010, he caught at least 100 yards in seven games, finishing his year with 66 catches for 1,182 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also sees himself as a kick returner, another area of need for the Dolphins.
“I was feeling that the Dolphins were going to take me,” he said. “I just had that feeling that it was going to be the Miami Dolphins. I don’t know why, I just did. Then, I got a call this morning from one of the scouts that told me to be ready.”
The Dolphins lived up to their call – drafting Gates with the 111th overall pick.
Well, they needed a speedy wide receiver. And they got one.
Miami devoted a fourth-round selection to pick Abilene Christian Edmond Gates, a player who is expected to provide the final piece to a wide receivers corps that lacked a high-end deep threat last season.
Whether Gates can make a successful transition into the NFL remains to be seen – but there’s no question about his speed. Running a 4.37 at the Scouting Combine, Gates actually said that’s the slowest he’s ever been timed at.
The fastest?
“I ran a 4.21,” he said Saturday. “But that was on a track surface.”
Now, it’s time for the Dolphins to help him become an NFL star. They’ll need to polish up an athlete who was far more focused on basketball until he ended up at Abilene Christian following a hoops stint in junior college.
In 2010, he caught at least 100 yards in seven games, finishing his year with 66 catches for 1,182 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also sees himself as a kick returner, another area of need for the Dolphins.
The Dolphins lived up to their call – drafting Gates with the 111th overall pick.
