Jonnu Smith made his first appearance for the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night, catching four passes for 23 yards in a preseason game against the Washington Commanders. It wasn’t a great stat line, but Smith didn’t play many snaps, either.
The tight end, who signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in March, gave a behind-the-scenes look at the role he could play when Miami’s offense hits full speed in September.
While he caught a few short passes, it was his 9-yard gain on an errant touchdown pass that presented a potentially interesting surprise for the Dolphins.
Jonnu Smith 👀 pic.twitter.com/5TgTYwa22Q
— Josh Houtz (@houtz) 17 August 2024
“He’s going to be used in a variety of ways, as you saw,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said after the game. “We see him as kind of a YAC monster. He catches the ball and can gain some yards after the catch. He’s very versatile in what we can do with him. We’re just slowly, slowly finding things we can do with guys like ‘Nu.'”
Mike McDaniel reiterated this sentiment in his post-game press conference.
“I think there are moments when the offense is running well and the defense is trying to defend space. It kind of expands the playing field because the defenses have quick, aggressive playmakers with the ball in their hands in those situations,” McDaniel said. “They can take advantage of things like that, so I think he’s a great addition to our team. I think there’s a lot of ways you can use players and he’s no exception.”
Smith finished last season with 50 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns during his one-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons. Such a performance would be a welcome addition to the Dolphins, where only Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle surpassed 400 receiving yards in the 2023 season.
Smith’s preseason debut showed many signs that he could produce those numbers – and maybe even more – in Miami.
