Dolphins fly in three more draft prospects, including a running back with a past mystery
Two highly productive running backs and a disruptive defensive tackle were among the final batch of prospects that took predraft visits to Dolphins headquarters this week before Thursday's NFL cut-off for such meetings.
Washington defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon and Arizona running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt all were flown to Miami to meet with Dolphins coaches and executives this week, according to three sources.
Gordon ran for 880 yards last season (4.6 per carry) and scored 13 touchdowns, one year after he led FBS with 21 rushing touchdowns. He averaged a robust 5.4 yards per carry in three college seasons. His one blemish was an August 2024 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein projects the 6-1, 226-pound Gordon to go in the fifth round and said he's a 'big-workload back with a skill set that requires a physical, downhill run scheme. Gordon is tight-hipped and forced to run linear tracks. He plays with adequate decisiveness and interior vision but lacks the agility to cut sharply or slip tackles in tight quarters.
'When he gets going downhill he becomes a battering ram, slamming through tackles and adding tough yards after contact. He's good in the screen game and could improve his protection in time. His 2024 production fell off through no fault of his own. Gordon is big and physical and could attract Day 2 attention from teams looking to add a bruiser to a two-back system.'
Croskey-Merritt averaged 6.4 yards per rush with 18 TDs on 202 FCS carries for New Mexico and Arizona. He spent his first four years at Alabama State, rushing for 1164 yards and 13 touchdowns, then spent one year at New Mexico, where he averaged 6.3 yards on 189 carries, with 17 TDs.
Croskey-Merritt originally transferred to play for Arizona last offseason, later flipped to Mississippi, then changed his mind again and recommitted to Arizona, where he played in one game (against his former team, New Mexico) and ran for 106 yards on 13 carries.
But Arizona then made him ineligible for the final 11 games as a precautionary move because of concern that the NCAA might determine that he had used up his college eligibility.
The eligibility questions stemmed from a mystery about whether Croskey-Merritt redshirted at Alabama State in 2019. ESPN stats show Croskey-Merritt playing in eight games for Alabama State in 2019. But Alabama State said that Croskey-Merritt played in only four games that year, which would have allowed him to redshirt and play last season at Arizona.
Croskey-Merritt reportedly switched numbers with another running back at Alabama State, which caused some confusion about how many games he actually played. Alabama State insists he played only four games that season, but Arizona wanted to take no chances.
Croskey-Merritt was named MVP of the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl, where he rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
As for the 304-pound Valdez, he had 49 tackles and two sacks in his only season at Washington. He played three seasons (2021-23) at Montana State, earning first-team All-Big Sky honors in 2022, and second-team All-Big Sky in 2023, when he had five sacks. He could be drafted on Day 3 or be a priority undrafted free agent.
Teams can bring as many as 30 non-local prospects to their headquarters for meetings and medical testing.
Among other players who took 30 visits to the Dolphins: UCF cornerback BJ Adams, Washington State receiver Kyle Williams, Elon receiver Chandler Brayboy, Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Rutgers defensive tackle Kyonte Hamilton, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, Penn State safety Kevin Winston Jr. and Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who's a possibility for Miami's second-round pick at 48.
During Chris Grier's regime as general manager, the Dolphins have drafted some players who took 30 visits to Miami Gardens and some who did not. Though the Dolphins don't use 30 visits as smokescreens, there are some cases where the team simply wants to learn more information about a player or do medical testing on a past injury.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Braves place reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on injured list with fractured rib cage
MIAMI — The Atlanta Braves placed reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a fractured left rib cage. 'He was doing his exercises (Friday) and felt like something wasn't right,' manager Brian Snitker said before the Braves' game Saturday against the Miami Marlins. 'So they had him looked at and it showed what it showed.' In his previous start, against the New York Mets on Wednesday, Sale sprinted off the mound and made a diving stop of a grounder hit by Juan Soto and threw him out for the first out in the ninth. He then struck out Pete Alonso and was lifted after allowing a single to Brandon Nimmo. 'It's just a freak thing. An unfortunate thing,' Snitker said. 'I saw him after the game that night and he was doing his postgame workout. And then I saw him the next day and I think he maybe felt a little uncomfortable the next day. But then (Friday) is when he wanted to get it checked out.' Sale is 5-4 and has a 2.52 ERA through 15 starts this season. The 36-year-old left-hander threw a season-high 116 pitches and 8 2/3 innings against the Mets. 'It's a tough blow for us and him,' Snitker said. 'It was going so good. That's a rough one.' After six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Sale was traded to the Braves in December 2023. Sale won the pitching Triple Crown in his first season in Atlanta, finishing with an NL high in wins (18) and strikeouts (225) and a league-low ERA of 2.38. Snitker doesn't have a timeline when his star pitcher will return. 'With bones like that, they've got to heal before you can start the process, but I have no idea how long it will be,' he said. The Braves began Saturday at 34-40 and 11 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia. They had won six of seven, including a three-game series sweep against the Mets, before losing the series opener at Miami on Friday. In the corresponding move retroactive to Thursday, the Braves recalled left-handed pitcher Austin Cox from Triple-A Gwinnett.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
NBA Finals Game 7 keys to victory: It all starts with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The 2024-25 NBA season – through the promise of a fresh start in October to the dog days of late January to the late-season push for the postseason in late March, early April to the two-month playoffs schedule to determine a champion – comes down to one more game. Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 22 (8 p.m. ET, ABC). Forty-eight minutes – possibly more – between two talented, deep, well-coached and exhausted teams. "One game for everything you ever dreamed of," Thunder star and this season's MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "If you win it, you get everything. If you lose it, you get nothing. It's that simple." Simple in theory. Difficult in practice. Because winning a championship isn't easy. It shouldn't be. One more game. The 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history. Pacers-Thunder. Indiana has never won an NBA title; since relocating to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008, the Thunder have never won a title. "Just really focused on Game 7 and trying to take it just a moment at a time," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said. "Really enjoying what we're doing. Understanding this is going to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, game most of us ever play in in our lives, and for our organization from a historical standpoint, as well. That's something that you don't take for granted and you enjoy as a competitor." Here's how each team can win Game 7: How Thunder can win NBA Finals Game 7 The MVP needs to play like the MVP, and he can't have more turnovers than made shots as he did in Indiana's Game 6 victory. Making mid-range shots, getting to the rim and free throw line, knocking down the occasional 3-pointers and making sure his teammates are involved. The Thunder are at their best when Gilgeous-Alexander scores around 30 points, five assists, two steals and attempts 10 free throws and has no more than three turnovers. In Indiana's Game 3 victory, the Thunder committed 19 turnovers, and in Indiana's Game 6 victory, the Thunder turned the ball over 21 times. It's one thing if shots are falling, it's another to have that many possessions with a field goal attempt. The Thunder don't need 40 points from Williams like they got from him in Game 5. However, an efficient Jalen Williams who is attacking the basket off the dribble and in transition and scoring 20-plus points while rebounding and collecting assists gives the Thunder a much better chance of winning. It's clear Holmgren needs to be involved offensively. He had just six points in the Game 1 loss and four points in the Game 6 loss and was 4-for-18 from the field in those two games. He's averaging 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in Finals victories and 10 points and 7.3 rebounds in Finals losses. The Thunder have used depth to their advantage all season. Getting 3s from Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins is important. Caruso has scored just two points in the past two games and was scoreless in Game 6. Wallace, Caruso and Wiggins were 1-for-6 on 3s in Game 6 and 7-for-14 in Game 5 and 14-for-26 in Game 2. The Thunder are not immune to home losses – they lost Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals to Denver and Game 1 of the NBA Finals to Indiana at home. However, they were 35-6 at home during the regular season and 10-2 during the playoffs. Oklahoma City provides one of the best home crowds in the league, and the Thunder can use that energy. LeBron James often said home-court advantage doesn't mean anything until a Game 7. How the Pacers can win Game 7 Haliburton has a strained calf, and if this were the regular season and even earlier in the playoffs, he might not be playing. But in Game 6 and Game 7 of the Finals, he is. He only played 23 minutes in the Pacers' Game 6 blowout victory and had 14 points, five assists and two steals. That kind of per-minute production should keep the Pacers in the game with a chance to win. The Pacers' improved defense is a major reason they are in this position. They like to pressure the basketball, sometimes full court, and that kind of intensity for four quarters wears down an opponent. Indiana wants to force turnovers, limit Oklahoma City's offensive opportunities and keep Gilgeous-Alexander from dominating with his scoring. In Game 6, the Pacers held the Thunder to 91 points, which is the Thunder's lowest-scoring game of the playoffs and just the second time they didn't reach 100 this postseason. The Pacers have been the best 3-point shooting team percentage-wise in the playoffs (.390) and have made 36.4% against the Thunder in the Finals. In their three Finals victories, they have outscored the Thunder 126-87 on 3-pointers. Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Obi Toppin and Haliburton need to combine for about 15 3-pointers. The Pacers average 14 made 3s in their Finals victories and 12 in their Finals losses. When T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin and Toppin are providing quality minutes, the Pacers are tough to beat. McConnell's bulldog mentality is an important part of Indiana's success. Siakam is the only Pacers player with championship experience (Toronto Raptors, 2019), and he has been a fantastic two-player in this series. If the Pacers win the title, he just might be Finals MVP. He's averaging 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks and shooting 46.4% from the field and 82.5% on free throws. Carlisle has extracted the maximum from this roster. Can he yield another victory? He has a great coaching staff, and Carlisle and his assistants have assembled outstanding game plans for this series. He has found ways to get points against Oklahoma City's top-rated defense and slow down the Thunder's No. 3 offense. It's no secret he's one of the league's best coaches over the past two decades, and he has been at the top of his game during the past two seasons with Indiana.
2 hours ago
Braves place reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sale on injured list with fractured rib cage
MIAMI -- The Atlanta Braves placed reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a fractured left rib cage. 'He was doing his exercises (Friday) and felt like something wasn't right,' manager Brian Snitker said before the Braves' game Saturday against the Miami Marlins. 'So they had him looked at and it showed what it showed.' In his previous start, against the New York Mets on Wednesday, Sale sprinted off the mound and made a diving stop of a grounder hit by Juan Soto and threw him out for the first out in the ninth. He then struck out Pete Alonso and was lifted after allowing a single to Brandon Nimmo. 'It's just a freak thing. An unfortunate thing,' Snitker said. 'I saw him after the game that night and he was doing his postgame workout. And then I saw him the next day and I think he maybe felt a little uncomfortable the next day. But then (Friday) is when he wanted to get it checked out.' Sale is 5-4 and has a 2.52 ERA through 15 starts this season. The 36-year-old left-hander threw a season-high 116 pitches and 8 2/3 innings against the Mets. 'It's a tough blow for us and him,' Snitker said. 'It was going so good. That's a rough one.' After six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Sale was traded to the Braves in December 2023. Sale won the pitching Triple Crown in his first season in Atlanta, finishing with an NL high in wins (18) and strikeouts (225) and a league-low ERA of 2.38. Snitker doesn't have a timeline when his star pitcher will return. 'With bones like that, they've got to heal before you can start the process, but I have no idea how long it will be,' he said. The Braves began Saturday at 34-40 and 11 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia. They had won six of seven, including a three-game series sweep against the Mets, before losing the series opener at Miami on Friday. In the corresponding move retroactive to Thursday, the Braves recalled left-handed pitcher Austin Cox from Triple-A Gwinnett.
