Dolphins announce contracts for 12 undrafted college free agents (2024)

The Miami Dolphins reached agreements with 12 undrafted college free agents, the team announced on Friday.

Wide receiver Je’Quan Burton, safety Jordan Colbert, cornerback Storm Duck, quarterback Gavin Hardison, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, offensive lineman Matthew Jones, tackle Bayron Matos, offensive lineman Andrew Meyer, linebacker Grayson Murphy, defensive tackle Leonard Payne, safety Mark Perry and tight end Hayden Rucci are joining Miami’s seven draft picks at this weekend’s minicamp.

WR Je’Quan Burton, Florida Atlantic

Burton appeared in 34 games over the last three seasons and met with the Denver Broncos before the draft. He averaged 2.5 receptions per game and scored nine touchdowns throughout his three-year college career. He also returned 10 or more kicks in two of his three seasons with the Owls.

S Jordan Colbert, Rhode Island

Colbert transferred to Rhode Island after graduating from Columbia as an All-Ivy League honorable mention at free safety his senior season. As a Rhode Island graduate student, he appeared in 21 games over two seasons. He started ten games in 2023 with 96 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

Colbert worked out for the New England Patriots at their local pro day in early April.

CB Storm Duck, Louisville

Duck was PFF’s No. 12 rated cornerback entering the 2022 season with the North Carolina Tar Heels. PFF labeled Duck one of the biggest projections after he played 530 snaps as a true freshman.

“He played just 436 snaps the past two seasons combined but still shined when on the field,” Anthony Treash, PFF college football analyst, wrote. “If fully healthy, Duck has star potential.”

Duck appeared in 12 games with four starts last season, ending the year with 32 tackles and seven pass breakups. Miami has had success with undrafted free-agent cornerbacks. Nik Needham played 61 games since 2019. Kader Kohou, a 2022 undrafted free agent, has started 29 games over the last two seasons.

QB Gavin Hardison, UTEP

Hardison started five games in 2023 before suffering a UCL ligament injury in his right throwing elbow. The sixth-year quarterback threw for 947 yards and five touchdowns before undergoing surgery.

Hardison appeared in 38 games with 40 touchdowns, 33 interceptions, and an average of 7.5 yards per pass attempt. He was the first UTEP quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in over a decade and earned honorable mention All-Conference USA as a red-shirt sophom*ore in 2021.

CB Isaiah Johnson, Syracuse

Johnson joined Syracuse in 2022 after graduating from Dartmouth. He started every game in his senior season and was named a team captain. He closed the year with 62 tackles, six pass breakups and an interception. Johnson played cornerback in college but he’s open to playing wherever needed.

“Whatever team sees me as a safety or a corner and if that’s what they want from me, then that’s what I’m willing to do,” Johnson said in March. “Like I said, I’m a football player. I just want to hit that field and play the game that I love.”

OL Matthew Jones, Ohio State

Jones started 24 of 26 games for the Buckeyes between 2022 and 2023. He played right guard and center at Ohio State after being named a top-ranked center by 247 Sports coming out of Erasmus Hall High School in 2017.

Jones earned Second-team all-Big Ten Conference honors in 2022 and 2023.

DL Bayron Matos, South Florida

Matos joined with Miami as part of the NFL’s International Player Program. He played a handful of defensive and special teams snaps in 2022, but spent most of his time as a basketball player. He averaged 1.5 points per game and 2.7 rebounds while appearing in 28 games with four starts on the court.

Matos was born in the Dominican Republic and was a three-star recruit with 16 offers coming out of high school.

OL Andrew Meyer, UTEP

Hardison’s center, Meyer was an All-Conference USA honorable mention in 2020 and 2022. He appeared in 54 games throughout his five seasons with the Miners.

“My whole life I’ve been an underdog, so when they come out and get to see who I am, even during this process I feel like I’ve been overlooked,” Meyer said at his pro day on March 26. “They saw that, ‘Maybe he can be a player.’ It was exciting to feel and see.”

LB Grayson Murphy, UCLA

Murphy led all draft-eligible defenders with 172 quarterback pressures, according to PFF. He visited with the Seattle Seahawks before the draft and NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein believes he “has a decent chance of becoming a rotational 3-4 rush linebacker,” due to his quick hands and overall athleticism.

Murphy appeared in 13 games last season and earned honorable mentioned All-Pac-12 honors with nine tackles for a loss and five sacks.

DT Leonard Payne, Colorado

An anchor on defense, the Fresno State transfer started seven games and had ten tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble last year. He played in 28 games with nine starts over five seasons with the Bulldogs before joining the Buffaloes.

S Mark Perry, TCU

Before the draft, Perry met with the New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Dallas Cowboys but decided to join the Dolphins. He started 12 games last year with 58 tackles, four passes defended, and a forced fumble.

“My biggest takeaway from my time at TCU is that you have to work for everything you want,” Perry told The Draft Network back in February. “Especially that 2022 season, we took on that underdog mentality. Coming into that season, nobody really expected us to be anything. Obviously, by the end of that season, we reached the National Championship.

“It wasn’t easy. We had to scratch and crawl for everything we wanted. We just took on that mentality. It started at the top. Ever since then, I’ve taken on that underdog approach. Hungry dogs run faster.”

TE Hayden Rucci, Wisconsin

Rucci closed his senior season with 11 receptions for 125 yards but didn’t find the end zone. He spent five seasons with the Badgers and appeared in 35 games after a redshirt season in 2019.

Hayden’s father Todd played football at Penn State and was a second-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 1993.