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Scouting the Fins-5-6-26 · 3 Yards Per Carry - Miami Dolphins

0:32
[SPEAKER_01]: What's up everybody, I'm welcome to another episode of Scouting the Finns right around the Threatary Prairie podcast.
0:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, we're also part of the Five Reasons Sports Network.
0:39
[SPEAKER_01]: And we go as Hussan Patel and join me today is our amazing coach, Eric.
0:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Coach, how are we doing?
0:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, doing well.
0:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been a little bit since we talked to Sam, but lots of stuff to get through these next couple of weeks over these prospects that we need to talk about.
0:56
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously, excited to talk about the one we're going to look at today,
1:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Off at the blind talk and I'm always here for that.
1:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, throughout these next several weeks leading up to Rookie Manicam, we'll be talking about the Miami Dolphins draft prospects, 13, and if I'll draft prospects in some UDFAs, as well, today's show is just going to be about Miami Dolphins, very first first run pick, in Caden Proctor because,
1:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Frankly, both of us have a lot to talk about Kayden and Proctor from our opinion, to our feelings, to the film that we've watched and some of that advanced statistical research, we've done.
1:36
[SPEAKER_01]: But before we get into what Kayden Proctor does on the field coach, we need to understand his journey into the Miami Dolphins, you know, very first front draft break, as part of the Jeff
1:48
[SPEAKER_01]: He was the consensus number one offensive tackle recruit in the 2023 class in Iowa.
1:56
[SPEAKER_01]: And he got, he committed to the University of Iowa with Kirk Francis, Home State, Iowa A, the Iowa Way, and then on national signing day, he flips to Alabama to be the starting left tackle as a true freshman under head coach in the same.
2:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and you know, there's a two great states when you're talking about offensive Lyman, Iowa, Alabama, and you know, totally get why he would do that, you know, as a kid going to the college level that clearly had pro aspiration from the very beginning is good as Iowa is, right, I could see the the national stage that you're going to get at Alabama.
2:41
[SPEAKER_00]: playing against those SEC edges weekend and week out.
2:45
[SPEAKER_00]: And I do feel that that better prepared him for the NFL, especially as a tackle at some point, hopefully, than maybe he would have been in the big ten.
2:55
[SPEAKER_00]: So really like that, almost so I'm good to Iowa again, after his freshman year when Nick Sabin left Alabama, Proctor actually did transfer to Iowa and spent like three months
3:10
[SPEAKER_00]: before going back to Alabama and that was before even spring practices had kicked up.
3:15
[SPEAKER_00]: So he never really played football for Iowa, but there was a short stint there where he did where he was enrolled at Iowa before returning and finishing those next two years of Alabama as well.
3:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
3:28
[SPEAKER_01]: And then you know, Nick Savin retired.
3:31
[SPEAKER_01]: You said, you know, he went back to Iowa,
3:39
[SPEAKER_01]: He more so left because of the uncertainty and came back and trusted the process, Alabama under a calendar board.
3:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that decision to return pretty much to find his 2025 season, you know, playing through a torn later home in 2024, very nagging injuries in 2025, he didn't get shut down.
3:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And the thing was, he didn't really preserve his draft stock, you know, he didn't sit out any games he continued to play and play and play.
4:08
[SPEAKER_01]: He earned, you know, first team, all SSE honors, co-one, the Jacob's blocking trophy, which
4:18
[SPEAKER_01]: draft night, Nick Sabin comes out publicly and says that he's not a self-starter, right?
4:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And he pretty much took what we said, and I had asked him at the press conference when he first got drafted.
4:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Nick Sabin pretty much said that when he's not in the building, he might not be in the best shape.
4:40
[SPEAKER_01]: He's not a self-starter.
4:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And
4:43
[SPEAKER_01]: If Nick Sabin says that about a player, that can be very publicly damaged.
4:48
[SPEAKER_01]: He's a hall of fame, college football coach.
4:51
[SPEAKER_01]: And we'll get into Cain and Proctor's direct response to that.
4:54
[SPEAKER_01]: But let's go ahead and set the table just based upon his film coach.
4:59
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, every person we've talked to and from your film review and other people's film review and the dolphin strapped community,
5:08
[SPEAKER_01]: His 20 25 tape was probably his best football he had in his two years at Alabama.
5:15
[SPEAKER_01]: The trajectory you know is going up and up and the kids only what 20 turning 21 soon.
5:22
[SPEAKER_01]: The self-started question is real but playing through a torn and later on coming back to Alabama after the uncertainty would save him leaving.
5:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Now it's more so about how John Erick Sullivan and Jeff Hathley deal with that daily, can they manage his weight, can he be thrust it into the starting lineup, which we'll get into a little bit later, and if you can maintain that same play he had Alabama.
5:52
[SPEAKER_01]: But look, the tape answers more than coach and acceptance words do.
5:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I think there was a lot of layers to that.
6:00
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, one is that, you know, Sabin only had him for the one season there at Alabama.
6:05
[SPEAKER_00]: So he knew him as a 18 year old kid.
6:08
[SPEAKER_00]: And like you said, he still is only 20 years old.
6:12
[SPEAKER_00]: So there is still maturity to go there.
6:15
[SPEAKER_00]: And when you're in the NFL, right?
6:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Now you're in the building almost all the time, right?
6:21
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're saying that when he's in the building, he's there.
6:25
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, as a professional athlete, you spend more time in the building.
6:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully that's a good sign for him.
6:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully the maturity is there.
6:34
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, when you asked him that question that you talked about, how he feels more comfortable at his current weight that 350 pounds range.
6:44
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, this is a young kid that's still trying to figure out his body in a sense, right?
6:49
[SPEAKER_00]: So for now, if he's saying that he's realizing that,
6:52
[SPEAKER_00]: the way that he's at.
6:54
[SPEAKER_00]: He can feel the difference and he doesn't want to go back to it.
6:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Then I'm going to trust the kid for now.
6:59
[SPEAKER_00]: All the science for him have been that he's a good kid, a hard worker.
7:04
[SPEAKER_00]: I've talked before about the stuff that they gave him in addition to playing tackle at Alabama.
7:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you don't do that for somebody that's not motivated, not putting the work in, not doing that type of stuff.
7:17
[SPEAKER_00]: So I feel like every side of points to him being a good
7:22
[SPEAKER_00]: right and I expect him to work hard, in terms of the on field stuff, agree that his 2025 tape was the best that he has put out so far.
7:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that you can really see the vision of him, right?
7:37
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't, they were talking about him playing guard at least to start.
7:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a good choice for him because I think that some of the issues that still exist
7:50
[SPEAKER_00]: covered up in a sense when you move them in the guard, but then hopefully as he continues to develop physically, that he can eventually move back out to tackle.
8:01
[SPEAKER_00]: But there's a lot of stuff to like about him on tape in terms of his athletic ability in terms of
8:08
[SPEAKER_00]: being able to move guys at the point of attack, his ability to get out in space.
8:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Like there's a lot of things to like on tape while still being able to see the ceiling that he hasn't reached yet.
8:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's something that John Erick Sullivan has talked about is that they want to draft players who's best footballs ahead of them.
8:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that Kate and Proctor kind of fit squarely into that conversation as, yes, he's a good player now.
8:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He is a first round NFL pick today.
8:34
[SPEAKER_00]: But there's still more meat on the bone if this kid can get there.
8:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, 32 and a half vertical at 352 pounds a combine record for players over 350 pounds.
8:47
[SPEAKER_01]: He cleared it by over two full inches.
8:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Athleticism score throughout the torch, 98th percentile, and 9.8.
8:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Was it a 9.21 or a 9.76 relative athletic score?
9:01
[SPEAKER_01]: his way at 352 was 98th percentile for offensive tackles, 67 of his squat was at 815 pounds.
9:12
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, let's go ahead and start with the most important thing on tape coach because it's the very first thing that any coach, and especially you as an offensive line coach, sees the anchor.
9:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, his archetype as the offensive tackle in this class that we talked about during, you know, our shows pre-draft, his archetype was the anchor that can really hold the
9:40
[SPEAKER_01]: more so be a guard.
9:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I think, you know, I don't want to sit here and make a direct comparison to Jonas of Ainaia.
9:50
[SPEAKER_00]: But when you look at how Jonas struggled as a rookie and he go back and look at some of the college film with him as well, you know, there were the were signs in a sense.
9:59
[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that moving Jonah inside would cover some of that up, but he did have trouble with power.
10:06
[SPEAKER_00]: when he was out there in space.
10:07
[SPEAKER_00]: And that ended up affecting him as a guard also.
10:10
[SPEAKER_00]: But when you look at Cain and Proctor, then you don't have that, right?
10:14
[SPEAKER_00]: That anchor is always there, whether it's taking on somebody directly or, if you're getting Proctor on the move and then they're trying to go speed to power, you can see that he's able to use his mask to really anchor down there.
10:28
[SPEAKER_00]: You can see that there's still development to go with his hands.
10:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still working through different techniques,
10:35
[SPEAKER_00]: there's enough there that you can be optimistic in the improvement from the technical standpoint of it as well.
10:43
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't, you don't see him losing in the same ways over and over again.
10:47
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, the anchor is impressive and that's a great starting point because that's, you know, that's not so much a mental thing or even a physical thing like that can be difficult to teach a player how to anchor.
11:01
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a lot of times more of a mentality and just kind of a
11:05
[SPEAKER_00]: and Proctor really does have that and provides a nice base to work from for the rest of the stuff.
11:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think the biggest thing for Caden Proctor, which I saw was the Georgia game in 2025.
11:19
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, Ty Simpson is in the pocket with Caden Proctor.
11:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I love tackle the edge rush or far as a bull rush on the snap.
11:27
[SPEAKER_01]: No counter, no spin, a little bit similar to this plate right here, which we're showing you if you're watching this.
11:33
[SPEAKER_01]: on YouTube, no counter, no spin, just straight up pure power, and the set is clean, where Caden Proctor is just straight up vertical square his hips are loaded, they're already synced already to absorb the power, absorb the contact, and the defender hits him in the chest.
11:53
[SPEAKER_01]: You can see it's a stun and a twist coming through, and he picks it up as well, just like that
12:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Second and no one is able to get passed by him and the thing is he barely even shifts his weight right here and The defender tries to basically disengage and try to swap the ball and that doesn't happen and that Pock is what was huge that would just saw their earlier coach for Tyson's and Yeah, and that you know when you talk about when he gets a hold of the defender that you know He's not collapsed in the pocket like that's something we see
12:30
[SPEAKER_00]: on the other side of the dolphin's line as well, or at least on the same side as where Procter's gonna play.
12:35
[SPEAKER_00]: On the left side, you see that with Patrick Paul also that once he gets those big old mits on you like, it's over and that's kind of the same with Procter, like where he can struggle at times is when he gets in space and he's not able to get his hands on a defender, but when he is able to get his hands on the defender, he's either able to anchor down, absorb the power rush,
12:57
[SPEAKER_00]: or once he has his hands on him, you're not gonna see him able to get a lot of those counter moves and getting away from him.
13:05
[SPEAKER_00]: And you see that with Patrick Paul as well.
13:07
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's gonna be really interesting to see how that develops, right?
13:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Especially if he does end up staying on the left side with Patrick Paul for his rookie season.
13:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Seeing those two work together and having that left side of the pocket be that firm is gonna be something that we haven't seen in my interview for a while.
13:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
13:25
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think the best thing for Hayden Proctor is definitely going to be the run game where he's just overwhelming.
13:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
13:34
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not more so of his technique.
13:36
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just of his size and his sheer power.
13:40
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I read a quote earlier that said that, you know, he's a vicious striped blocker.
13:46
[SPEAKER_01]: with a plus group strength, low pad level, you mentioned once he gets his mid on you, like Patrick Paul, here it done.
13:52
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like he was the best fit on gap concepts, on duo, power, pin and pull that we saw in the McDaniel offense those last two years, but viewsed very sparingly.
14:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Under Bobby Slowick, it's more so zone, it's wide, the running back is looking to go horizontal,
14:13
[SPEAKER_01]: rather than straight up through the gap to get away from the defenders and when he had Tyler Booker on his right side in 2024 coach, those dual runs routinely drove those three techniques who were over 320 pounds, four, five yards off the line of scrimmage.
14:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean four, five yards per
14:40
[SPEAKER_01]: off the line.
14:41
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a, that's really big movement if that can happen with Patropal and uh, uh, Kate and Proctor.
14:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and that's where that massive vertical jump shows up that, you know, the vertical jump is a nice, the vertical and the broad or translate nicely to that short area explosion.
15:02
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's where you see it show up in the run game is just his ability to get off the ball and move defenders against their will and he, you know, shows a really good understanding of those combination blocks that you'll see on the inside zone and duo runs as well.
15:17
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's a, you know, a lot of that is a feel thing again right and he has that sense of how long to stay on that double team before moving off to the line back or at times, you know, realizing that you have to stay on there.
15:28
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he does a really good job with that.
15:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Also see him in the the pin and pull we talked about that being one of the things he likes and does a really good job with especially the pin side of it of taking as a tackle you're taking that three technique or that four eye.
15:44
[SPEAKER_00]: and pinning him to the inside so that your guard can loop around.
15:48
[SPEAKER_00]: And he just does a a really good job of that as well.
15:51
[SPEAKER_00]: And he talked about the outside zone stuff.
15:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And Alabama did not run a lot of that in 2025.
15:57
[SPEAKER_00]: But going through and watching every snap that he had in 2025, when they did run it, you can see the flashes there.
16:04
[SPEAKER_00]: You can see the athleticism showing up because in the, you know, the shenanigans style outside zone schemes, they're really trying to
16:12
[SPEAKER_00]: run off the ball and that's where his athleticism does show up and there's going to be some growing pains there, both from a, you know, a scheme and learning it a little better and the position changed with him.
16:27
[SPEAKER_00]: But
16:28
[SPEAKER_00]: there is definitely a potential there for him to be, you know, a plus level outside zone blocker.
16:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, let's take a look at this play real quick coach up against Vanderbilt and more so of a tight set with the quarterback's back to the posing goal line right here.
16:47
[SPEAKER_01]: On the left side of the line, you have proctor at left tackle, you have the tight end.
16:51
[SPEAKER_01]: in line right next to him.
16:52
[SPEAKER_01]: You have the wide receiver just in between the tight end and catering proctor.
16:58
[SPEAKER_01]: You see how he's able to get his right shoulder up onto the defensive line and right onto his right.
17:06
[SPEAKER_01]: He's able to push him up.
17:08
[SPEAKER_01]: combo block with number 71, then really unlatch himself, work his way to the second level level on number 22, the Vanderbilt, linebacker, and look where there's hole is already, like for example, you're doing a combo block, a Patrick Paul, and King and Proctor are doing a combo block on the left side.
17:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Patrick Paul is going to be the one climbing up while Cadenham Proctor is going to be this guy number 71, just really like you can see he's able to climb up with a little bit of space right after he latches on.
17:45
[SPEAKER_01]: If there's no defensive linemen in the middle, Aaron Brewer is shooting up to this next landbacker, Proctor can detach right here and continue to follow Devon Hain right up through the home.
17:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
17:58
[SPEAKER_00]: One of the things I really liked about that rep was that you can see if you watch Proctors head, you can see that even while he is engaging in that combo block that his eyes are on that linebacker.
18:10
[SPEAKER_00]: So he is, you know,
18:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Working, feeling that defensive tackle, but then as he's seeing that linebacker scraping over top right now understands where the leverages both for the guard and himself on that linebacker and just sliding off and making it an easy block and then from there right that's where you get somebody like Devon H and who has great vision that just sees the leverage that those linemen have and then you get him into the second letter of the third level one on one with the safety between him and the end zone.
18:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, I think his 2025 improvement arc is the most important counter to every concern poach.
18:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, there are a lot of people who didn't, who dismissed him after his week, one performance against Vanderbilt, this game that we have up on the screen if you're watching on YouTube right here, he'll out of five pressures in that game.
19:01
[SPEAKER_01]: and then mid-season a completely different player.
19:04
[SPEAKER_01]: His past protection improved and got better directly with his way.
19:08
[SPEAKER_01]: And he mentioned he lost just a little bit of more weight and gained more muscle mass throughout the season in 2025.
19:15
[SPEAKER_01]: When he got below 360 pounds, his technique cleaned up.
19:19
[SPEAKER_01]: He was able to move much better and he was able to move much faster.
19:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I think my min's first priority in training camp is making sure he hunvers in stays around that 350 pound area.
19:33
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that first game against Florida State, a lot of people referenced it and I think that that was over the last year.
19:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
19:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, but it's the same idea, right?
19:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It was the first game of the season.
19:44
[SPEAKER_00]: It was on a national stage, very visible and kind of stuck with everybody for the rest of the year.
19:50
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that people kind of let that game
19:54
[SPEAKER_00]: be their determining factor for him throughout the season but even he talked about after that game that some of his old teammates called him and they're like hey man you look slow like and that's you know conditioning confidence all of that stuff but like you said you could see that after that game you could see the upward progression and then when you get to that Georgia game in the playoffs
20:17
[SPEAKER_00]: He was nearly flawless in that game, right?
20:20
[SPEAKER_00]: But that's kind of the nature of being an offensive lineman.
20:23
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, week one, you struggle, you're giving up pressures and sacks.
20:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody sees that, everybody's gonna talk about that.
20:30
[SPEAKER_00]: But then you get into a much more important game in a playoff game and you are flawless, soon nobody talks about you, right?
20:39
[SPEAKER_00]: But people don't remember the games where nobody talks about you.
20:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But you
20:44
[SPEAKER_00]: when you go back and you watch it, you can see that progression throughout the season.
20:50
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
20:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think his arm length is a bit shorter than expected for his frame?
20:58
[SPEAKER_01]: And was there any concern up against speed rushers?
21:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, for example, up against Oklahoma's Mason Thomas?
21:07
[SPEAKER_01]: He had some clean sets against him.
21:10
[SPEAKER_01]: But then Mason Thomas had a little bit of an inside counter.
21:13
[SPEAKER_01]: He came super fast.
21:15
[SPEAKER_01]: It was a quick inside jab through there with the swim move.
21:18
[SPEAKER_01]: He tries to reach for him with his inside hand and misses just by an inch because his arm length is just 30 and 5-8s of an inch.
21:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Instead of the usual 31-32 inches.
21:33
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't think that it was I wouldn't put that on the arm length.
21:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that that's stuff that if you clean up the feet a little more on the edge that you're going, you know, that makes up for more than having half an inch or an inch with the arms when I did my my film review video for Kate and Proctor.
21:53
[SPEAKER_00]: That was one of the sections that I had in there was when especially in space as players were working up field and then countering back to the inside that too often they were able to get there too cleanly, but that was more of a foot speed, a balanced type deal than it was not having a little bit of extra reach.
22:14
[SPEAKER_00]: The big place where the arm length shows up for me is more so in the run game, especially with the outside zone stuff, because I think it gives you a little more ability to control that defender once you latch on.
22:29
[SPEAKER_00]: But it's not a debilitating factor for me.
22:34
[SPEAKER_00]: It just becomes, especially if he really hits the ground running as a guard, right?
22:41
[SPEAKER_00]: really takes off like are you better off leaving him at guard long term where the arm like this never going to be a question right you can be in all pro with that those arms as a guard but it's rare that you see approval or all pro tackle with the shorter arms right so then it comes out of decision do you want to be a above average tackle or do you want to be a all pro
23:09
[SPEAKER_00]: where the arm like this discussion comes in.
23:11
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think that more importantly, in the arm like if you want to move them out to tackle, I think you got to see some improvement in the lower half.
23:20
[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Coach, we've reached the midway point of our show here.
23:26
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll go ahead and head to break.
23:32
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
23:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're back.
23:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Coach, we talked a lot about kid and proctor strengths and a little bit about his weaknesses.
23:42
[SPEAKER_01]: One more thing I wanted to touch on, you mentioned his zone blocking.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: just a second level tracking and then, you know, potentially, you know, just those, I feel like some of the play side, reach blocks up against, you know, much faster and physical defensive ends coming from left to right.
24:02
[SPEAKER_01]: He could stand to get a little bit more outside, but you mentioned.
24:07
[SPEAKER_01]: He'll more so be a left card in Miami, right?
24:10
[SPEAKER_01]: So he'll be able to get there a little bit quicker, a little bit faster.
24:13
[SPEAKER_01]: So that concern is a little bit minimized.
24:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And I feel like it'll allow him to grow into the zone blocking scheme more, compared to what we saw at Alabama.
24:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I agree like that the main issues that I see show up for Cain Proctor are when he has to be in space, right?
24:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether that's getting out on a screen pass, whether that's trying to block a defender.
24:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Like he does a decent job disengaging at the second level, but as you find him in more space, he has more trouble latching on.
24:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Whereas when you move him into guard, you're kind of putting bumpers on, right?
24:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Cause if you're, if he's at left guard and you're running wide zone to the left, right?
25:02
[SPEAKER_00]: That defensive tackle defensive end whatever he is pursuing can't get any further outside than what Patrick Paul is.
25:09
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can be a little more decisive, a little more aggressive getting after that.
25:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Whereas if you are out at tackle, then you have to really
25:19
[SPEAKER_00]: worry about the space that he can work with.
25:21
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I think that when you look at where Proctor has to improve and how you kind of fast track that improvement, right?
25:30
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to build his confidence, then you move them inside where he's got the bumpers, and he can really learn those techniques.
25:39
[SPEAKER_00]: And then again, hopefully someday he can move out to tackle but for now, having him
25:46
[SPEAKER_00]: not have to worry as much about trying to catch a defender in space should be a nice confidence booth boost as he continues to mature mentally.
25:57
[SPEAKER_01]: So when Keaton Proctor actually starts at left guard, a lot of the concerns we talked about gets a little bit reduced, right?
26:07
[SPEAKER_01]: At guard the reps, the distances are shorter, right?
26:12
[SPEAKER_01]: The poll, the pen and poll types of runs.
26:16
[SPEAKER_01]: More so fit his movement profile where he's not asked to move at a much longer length at a much faster.
26:23
[SPEAKER_01]: pace.
26:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And his anchor is I would say probably one of the better anchors in the NFL, especially at the guard position.
26:33
[SPEAKER_01]: What the offensive line could potentially look like overall and we know what's confirmed on the left side is obviously Patrick Paul that left tackle.
26:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Caden Proctor at left guard, Aaron Bruir at center.
26:45
[SPEAKER_01]: We know that is set.
26:46
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't know what the right side could look like, could Austin Jackson have some competition, could Jonas Avania get better in his sophomore year, or Jamari Sallier maybe makes a start at right guard.
26:59
[SPEAKER_01]: There's going to be some cross training for Caden Proctor at left tackle at right tackle at left guard at right guard.
27:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Just the tackle door is not closed yet on date one.
27:10
[SPEAKER_01]: And there's a little bit of a
27:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Right coach with Laramie Tonsu.
27:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, we're not necessarily saying that King of Proctor is like Laramie Tonsu.
27:20
[SPEAKER_01]: The action of him playing at Gordon potentially moving a tackle is like Laramie Tonsu.
27:27
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, if we allow Kate and Proctor to develop, to become one of the better guards in the game, and then maybe later on move to tackle that can happen.
27:37
[SPEAKER_01]: That's exactly what happened with exact Tom from Green Bay.
27:41
[SPEAKER_01]: He was a guard, then switched to sensor, and now he's the right tackle in Green Bay.
27:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's
27:49
[SPEAKER_01]: going to be, I think, the same model for Kate and Proctor, a tackle conversion from a position of strength, where the Dolphins roster allows it can help to maximize his development.
28:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think the ZAC Tom comparison is probably more applicable than the Larry Tundra one.
28:11
[SPEAKER_00]: The Tundra definitely did go guard a tackle, but the only reason that Tundra was a guard was
28:19
[SPEAKER_00]: left tackle there that for for one season always knew that that year to that Lairmy tonsil was going left tackle with no questions asked.
28:26
[SPEAKER_00]: There are still, I guess some questions about what the long term plan is for Kate and Proctor.
28:32
[SPEAKER_00]: We know he's or even you know
28:35
[SPEAKER_00]: They didn't necessarily declare him as the starter at left guard.
28:38
[SPEAKER_00]: That's just where he is going to begin his training, right?
28:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But they did talk about the cross training.
28:45
[SPEAKER_00]: You talked about the offensive line as a whole.
28:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I really think that they are hoping that Jonah can develop as the right guard and the Austin Jackson can say, healthy as the right tackle.
28:56
[SPEAKER_00]: And then that's kind of across the board, a pretty young athletic,
29:01
[SPEAKER_00]: capable group of Jonah steps up, right?
29:03
[SPEAKER_00]: But if Jonah can't make that next step if Austin Jackson can't stay healthy, then you're gonna see some changes.
29:11
[SPEAKER_00]: You also know that Jim Arizsoller was told that he's going to have the opportunity to compete for a starting position.
29:19
[SPEAKER_00]: So there could still be some movement, you know, it does.
29:23
[SPEAKER_00]: But
29:24
[SPEAKER_00]: it does seem likely that proctor is staying at left guard in the right side needs to be figured out I think the right side will be Austin Jackson as long as he's healthy and then it you know comes down to what happens between Jonah and Saul you're in my opinion.
29:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Now where things could get really interesting is if
29:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Austin Jackson does get injured again right.
29:48
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you what do you do at that point?
29:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you ask can and proctor to move midseason like that that worries me a bit if he's going to train on the left side and then try to make that move midseason.
29:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you suck it up and let him play left guard for the entire season and then look at next year to move him just a lot of stuff like that so it'll be it'll be very interesting to see.
30:11
[SPEAKER_00]: what it looks like and even even getting into the preseason right they're talking about cross training him does he start preseason uh preseason game one snap one
30:23
[SPEAKER_00]: at left guard, but then as the reserves get in, does he get an opportunity to play some other positions as well, to get game experiences, like that's one of the things that I'm looking forward to with Kate and Proctor, to see whether or not they're saying, yeah, you're the left guard, we're going to let you get comfortable there, or are they truly going to start preparing him for the future from the beginning?
30:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you feel like if he's cross-training and
30:52
[SPEAKER_01]: it kind of caps his ceiling where he's not able to really find his footing especially in that worst case scenario where he plays left guard.
31:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, Austin Jackson is out.
31:04
[SPEAKER_01]: They move him to right tackle.
31:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, don't a savanna.
31:08
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't get it done.
31:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You move him to right guard instead.
31:10
[SPEAKER_01]: You put tomorrow.
31:11
[SPEAKER_01]: You're as a right tackle or a gun for a bit.
31:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Something happens to Patrick
31:21
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like the best course of action would just put him at one spot and let him play it rather than just moving around.
31:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I agree completely, and if I was making the decisions and my long term vision was to have him at Rake Tackle, I would probably start him at Rake Guard so that that transition next year is a little bit smoother, but I do get the idea of
31:46
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, he's more natural for now on the left side.
31:48
[SPEAKER_00]: So let him stay on the left side and then slowly introduce him to the right side.
31:54
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, I guess if you go, if you're going with that direction, then I don't, I don't see any issues with him transitioning to from left tackle to left guard.
32:03
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a very simple transition.
32:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you slowly cross-trains, slowly introduce him to the right side, then you have a better chance to see, hey, this isn't working out, right?
32:17
[SPEAKER_00]: We're just going to have to live with him at left guard and figure out the right side some other way.
32:22
[SPEAKER_00]: As opposed to throwing him into the fire on the right side and then having two positions or three positions that are downgraded as a result of that, right?
32:37
[SPEAKER_00]: the left versus the right side makes a huge difference for Jonah in the grand scheme of things because I think the issues that he showed existed on both sides even to the left side he only played tackle.
32:48
[SPEAKER_00]: But you know, would you have been better off starting on the right side and then slowly introducing him to the left side to be able to see, right, it really felt like
32:59
[SPEAKER_00]: last year they kind of decided from day one, hey, Jonah is the starting left guard, and they just rode that to the wheels fell off essentially, whereas giving Kate and proctor the opportunity to start his
33:13
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, NFL career at least from a practice perspective on the left side gives them a little more room for air in that sense.
33:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, if you, if you, if you start them on the left side and you start giving him 25% of snaps on the right side, just to see how he's doing and it is just a complete disaster, then you just leave one on the left side and that that's the end of it.
33:35
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't go through the same pains that we had with Jonah.
33:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, or moving on to some of the press conference questions he asked for.
33:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, the big one about the weight, we talked about it over and over again.
33:48
[SPEAKER_01]: But John Eric Sullivan says something important about that way.
33:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Question on the Joe Roshoe where he did his interview and he said, you know, he sat on my couch had a lot of conversations and didn't hide from any of it.
34:02
[SPEAKER_01]: And it was more so conviction on the things that he needed to be honest about, to be the best football player.
34:09
[SPEAKER_01]: he could be during his 30 visit.
34:11
[SPEAKER_01]: He said he's not worried about the way he did the work, they had the direct conversations, more about the conviction.
34:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I think John Erick Sullivan likes the conviction.
34:19
[SPEAKER_01]: He drafted based on conviction, same with Jeff Haffley, with a signed players based on conviction too.
34:27
[SPEAKER_01]: So coach, if that's the exact answer you're looking for from a rookie at
34:36
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, yeah, it was a thing and he didn't deflect on it.
34:40
[SPEAKER_01]: He didn't get defensive.
34:42
[SPEAKER_01]: He said it was accurate.
34:44
[SPEAKER_01]: But he didn't really fully answer the question.
34:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think it was, do you have some concerns about that answer?
34:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Was that a little bit too scary for you?
34:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Or was that just right, what he said?
34:59
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I didn't have any issues with the answer.
35:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, this is a 20-year-old kid, right?
35:06
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still learning how stuff works, like what works for him.
35:09
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I would be more concerned if he was still 400 pounds and trying to figure it out, right?
35:16
[SPEAKER_00]: But he was very straightforward about finding a workout that he actually likely.
35:23
[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't want to go run on a track or run a treadmill and run five miles a day or whatever.
35:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Like he found this was a hot work, so whatever.
35:30
[SPEAKER_00]: It was called where you're working in a,
35:33
[SPEAKER_00]: inflated temperature environment and you you sweat a lot quicker you burn it off a lot quicker the workouts are shorter.
35:40
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, and that's a big thing like you've got to, you know, anytime that you're trying to lose weight to getting shape, you've got to find something that you like to do, right?
35:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So, if John Eric Sullivan was,
35:53
[SPEAKER_00]: convinced that Kate and Proctor was being truthful, that hey, I've found this type of workout to manage my weight that I like.
36:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Then I would tend to believe a kid that is 20 years old versus like if you're having this conversation at 26, 27 years old, it's like what took you so long to find what you like to do in terms of working out?
36:18
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not, it doesn't seem like an unrealistic time frame.
36:21
[SPEAKER_00]: for a kid that went to college at 17 years old and had no idea how to manage his weight.
36:27
[SPEAKER_00]: To now at 20, be learning how to do that properly.
36:33
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I don't, I mean, I'm not going to say it's not a concern at all, right?
36:38
[SPEAKER_00]: But I could see where he's telling you that he's figuring this out.
36:42
[SPEAKER_00]: He's telling you that he's realizing that his body feels much better at this weight that based on where that ceiling is
36:51
[SPEAKER_00]: fully understand why you would take that risk and give them that opportunity.
36:56
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, like the even if he were to balloon up to 380 pounds, like he's still gonna be a pretty good guard in my opinion, right?
37:06
[SPEAKER_00]: The weight thing more comes, if you wanna see him reach that ceiling as a proble, all pro guard or be able to move out to tackle, that's where the weight conversation comes in.
37:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to dismiss the weight, right?
37:24
[SPEAKER_00]: But even at 380, like you watched the early season games, and he can still move.
37:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it's not like he gets up to 380, and he's suddenly a slug and can't move, and things like that.
37:37
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still athletic.
37:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously long-term, keep the weight down, be able to do more stuff.
37:43
[SPEAKER_00]: But I don't think that the weight will prevent him from being a good NFL player regardless.
37:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Alright, one more thing about his weight, just not his weight, I'm sorry, just about his play.
37:57
[SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be more so about the play action set up that Bobby Slowik is going to run with Malay Gullis at quarterback and the structure pretty much requires the run game to be a genuine threat before the fake works.
38:13
[SPEAKER_01]: and if defenses don't respect the zone runs that are coming through the left side with Patrick Paul and let's say for example, King Proctor struggles a little bit.
38:24
[SPEAKER_01]: They can't necessarily exploit the play action conversions.
38:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Based on his Alabama tape, he can move those interior defenders.
38:34
[SPEAKER_01]: We didn't see a lot of his play at left cards.
38:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So we have no idea what he necessarily could look like.
38:40
[SPEAKER_01]: But when Devon Haines' outside zone is available and running and linebackers can't treat the run, that play action is going to be a full efficiency.
38:51
[SPEAKER_01]: When you saw those play action passes on tape coach, up against Vanderbilt, up against Georgia, some of the pinnipole actions that were fake runs,
39:00
[SPEAKER_01]: can he hold up against those bigger, stronger, three-texts and maybe even potentially edge-rushers that are stunting looping in with free releases.
39:11
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think so, and I think that, you know, that kind of plays to his strengths, you know, especially as you eventually move him back out to tackle, right?
39:19
[SPEAKER_00]: When you're, when you're going play action, you're making the, the defender be indecisive.
39:25
[SPEAKER_00]: They still have to play run responsibilities to an extent.
39:29
[SPEAKER_00]: So that gives Proctor that extra fraction of a second to get engaged.
39:34
[SPEAKER_00]: We've very talked about that once he's engaged, he's very difficult to get away from.
39:39
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I do think that, you know, running those flashing concepts will help proctor in past protection, I think that, you know, we talk about his combo blocks, his doubles, his ability to pin the defender inside, even his ability to pull outside and lead sometimes.
39:56
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, that's always going to give the defense something to think about when when you're looking at a, you know, as a, whether it's a three technique, a two technique, a two-wide, like somebody in that
40:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Right, you can't sell out versus the past when you have some extra inch and 50 pounds in front of you because if you do then proctors just going to wash you out completely, um, whereas, you know, if now you're kind of playing in between, now proctors got the ability to get his hands on you going to lock you up and, you know,
40:31
[SPEAKER_00]: There's not not a whole lot you can do.
40:33
[SPEAKER_00]: So I do think the past or the play action will be a benefit for for practice.
40:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I do think we're going to get the movement in the run game.
40:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that little extra fraction of, you know, half second or whatever will benefit proctor when it comes to pass protection.
40:51
[SPEAKER_01]: K. and proctor Tyler Booker, Jacy Latham, Evan Neil.
40:57
[SPEAKER_01]: the Alabama offensive line track record at the NFL level is kind of complicated.
41:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Coach, those are all massive guys who struggled very very early on.
41:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Kaden's proctor may struggle very, very early on.
41:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully he only struggles for a couple of games and is back to what he looked like at Alabama.
41:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Evan Newell struggled his first two seasons in bounce back a little bit.
41:24
[SPEAKER_01]: Then he got injured.
41:26
[SPEAKER_01]: J.C. Latham struggled outside at tackle than the Titans moved him.
41:31
[SPEAKER_01]: to guard.
41:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Tyler Booker was a right guard through and through.
41:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He got drafted by the Cowboys, two playguard, and did decently to above average at guard in his normal space.
41:44
[SPEAKER_01]: How much does that history of these Alabama offensive linemen?
41:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Does it live in your head and can you
42:01
[SPEAKER_00]: So, well, like you said, Tyler Booker, I think, is kind of a separate conversation, because I do think that he had a pretty good season last year.
42:10
[SPEAKER_00]: But overall, I think that Caden Proctor is, and I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I feel like he is a more athletic player than the other guys that you listed.
42:20
[SPEAKER_00]: But also, when you look at, you know, guys like Latham, Evan Neal, like they had to start at tackle and they failed at tackle.
42:30
[SPEAKER_00]: whereas the dolphin seem ready to allow proctor to play guard and hopefully succeed at guard before trying him at tackle.
42:39
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it's not quite an apples to apples, comparison, but it's not something you can ignore the history of those Alabama offensive linemen.
42:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It goes even further back.
42:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm drawing a blank on some of the names off the top of my head.
42:56
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but you, you see it over and over again, and you do have to hope that Katie and Proctor, you know, kind of breaks that mold, but I do hope that the strategy as a Dolphins have of taking a player that is athletic enough to be a tackle, but letting him learn the NFL ropes at guard has long-term, you know, benefits.
43:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I think this is my, here's my read on Procure.
43:26
[SPEAKER_01]: And it becomes a legitimate bet if three things do come true.
43:31
[SPEAKER_01]: The first one, obviously, shows up training camp, 350, hovers around 350, the zone blocking technique throughout rookie mini camp to the camp from July to September.
43:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Improves measurably, he learns a playbook down.
43:46
[SPEAKER_01]: He does well.
43:47
[SPEAKER_01]: in preseason where you feel very, very comfortable with him as a starter at left card.
43:53
[SPEAKER_01]: The number three, the past protection development in just year one matches the trajectory of improvement he had in 2025 from FSU to Vanderbilt to play off game up against Georgia.
44:08
[SPEAKER_01]: If all three happen and come true in this very first season, Miami has their franchise left guard and they already have their franchise left tackle and Patrick Paul.
44:19
[SPEAKER_01]: That left side will be anchored for a good part of seven, eight, hopefully a decade for this team.
44:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay?
44:29
[SPEAKER_01]: But if the weight creeps up,
44:32
[SPEAKER_01]: his past protection doesn't improve.
44:34
[SPEAKER_01]: He can't really do well in zone blocking that much at a higher rep capacity compared to Alabama.
44:43
[SPEAKER_01]: Then some questions could start to arise if John here at Sullivan and Jeff Hathley made the right bet for the bill.
44:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Because, guess what?
44:52
[SPEAKER_01]: They traded back.
44:54
[SPEAKER_01]: They received a little bit more capital for two extra picks.
44:59
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, the concerns, we're not going to dismiss them.
45:03
[SPEAKER_01]: We talked about them.
45:04
[SPEAKER_01]: They're real.
45:04
[SPEAKER_01]: They can be coachable.
45:07
[SPEAKER_01]: But if this is a player worth pick number 12,
45:10
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a defining move of John Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hathley's first draft.
45:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, absolutely.
45:16
[SPEAKER_00]: When you, whatever your first pick is as a new front office, a new head coach, like that's going to be kind of a player that you, you have to hang your hat on, right?
45:26
[SPEAKER_00]: If this turns out to be a complete flop is a black eye on everybody.
45:30
[SPEAKER_00]: involved for me the the two biggest things as we get into campus, you know, one the conditioning right I'm not I'm not as concerned about the the weight whether it's 345 360 whatever right but it and we're not going to be able to see it every day right but hopefully some of the beat reporters will talk about some like
45:52
[SPEAKER_00]: is he able to finish practice at the same speed that everybody else is, right?
45:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Or is he, you know, over there, sucking down fluids while the first team off ends is in, right?
46:02
[SPEAKER_00]: So the conditioning part of it, and if you're, you know, if you are well conditioned, probably the weights can be under control as well.
46:08
[SPEAKER_00]: So those are our link together.
46:10
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the other thing is just going to be can they settle him into a spot right and I don't think I don't think it matters for me Whether it's left guard right guard.
46:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think he's ready for right tackle yet, but I don't want to see him You know one week he's a left guard next week.
46:27
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the the right guard.
46:29
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't want to be The next Lee and Mike and Berk.
46:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean he he got the Lee and Mike and Berk number of 74
46:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It just better hope he doesn't turn out to be a Leo Mike and Greg.
46:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I have, I can say confidently that the floor for Cain and Proctor I feel is still significantly higher than what we experienced with Leo Mike and Berg over the last five years.
46:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, what we can end that on a positive note and we'll see what Cain and Proctor.
47:00
[SPEAKER_01]: looks like a next episode we'll talk about Chris Johnson, Jacob Rodriguez, and the remaining of the Miami Dolphins pick on this post draft series of Scouting the Fins, stick with us here on the five reasons sports network, Scouting the Fins part of the three hours per carry podcast.
47:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Coach, thank you so much and as always.
47:17
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.