It seems that time is running out for Erik Ezukanma to make an impact with the Miami Dolphins. The third-year wide receiver has appeared in just three games since getting picked in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft and has only one career reception.
With an influx of new receiver talent and an injury keeping Ezukanma out for a stretch in training camp, a spot on the roster seems to be an uphill climb. But Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t ready to give up on the receiver.
“As coaches, we’re trying to maximize the talent of every player in their recognized dream,” McDaniel said Thursday. “Erik [Ezukanma] had a great day yesterday. I think he was the fastest GPS player. I think guys are excited to be a part of his journey and absolutely, we are pouring into him to see what can come out.”
Ezukanma, 24, was a healthy scratch for most of his rookie year in Miami and then spent almost all of 2023 sidelined with a neck injury. Near the end of the year, the receiver expressed frustration that he still hadn’t been cleared to return to the field.
While he’s been absent more often than not, in his time on the practice field, Ezukanma has managed to impress coaches.
“Erik is a freak,” Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker said in August 2023. “I mean, he’s got a lot of ability, and you see the flashes everywhere. He’s definitely doing some great things out there. It’s just the consistency of everything that we’re talking about and being able to do it exactly how we’re saying and continuing to work on that.”
Still, the Dolphins don’t have many roster spots open at the receiver position after signing Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency, re-signing returner Braxton Berrios, and drafting a pair of receivers late in the 2024 NFL draft.
A year ago, Miami kept six wide receivers on cut day for its initial 53-man roster. That could mean Berrios, Ezukanma, River Cracraft, Willie Snead, and Anthony Schwartz are all competing for just a couple spots.
Ezukanma has his work cut out for him. But it doesn’t yet seem that he’s lost the coaches’ faith.