Inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks also filled up the stat sheet Friday. He recorded a pair of pass breakups and two tackles for loss. Fittingly, Brooks spent much of his offseason training with Trader Jr.
“Wherever Jordyn Brooks was, I was,” Trader Jr. said. “I was over at his house every day. We’re doing two-a-days, we’re training. We had a plan for everything in our game, our techniques, our run fits, our strike and our shed and pulls. When we make plays, we laugh now. It’s like, ‘We’ve been working on that.'”
The offense scored a handful of touchdowns on a red-zone-heavy day. Running back Jaylen Wright hit a big hole opened by rookie offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and center Aaron Brewer for a 25-yard touchdown gallop. Running backs Ollie Gordon II and Donovan Edwards also ran touchdowns in from 10 yards out.
Proctor, Miami’s first pick in this year’s draft, is quickly learning the NFL ropes and what is asked of him playing alongside Brewer and tackle Patrick Paul.
“Just being focused in on the meetings and the install that was going in today,” Proctor said. “But the biggest thing that I’ve learned is you have to get off the ball, using the snap count to your advantage.”
Quarterback Malik Willis joined in on the rushing touchdown barrage with a 10-yard scamper of his own. He also threw a pair of touchdowns, both touch passes into the corner of the end zone. Tight end Ben Sims pulled one down while rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas secured the other with an impressive one-handed grab.