The Miami Dolphins sent a message to the the rest of the National Football League last month when they made Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor their first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team wants to be big, physical and nasty in the trenches.<\/p>\n
However, Proctor earned his stripes at Alabama as an offensive tackle, not an offensive guard \u2014 a spot where Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has already stated the 6\u20197\u201d, 352 lb behemoth will begin his career.<\/p>\n
So, is the 20 year old physical dynamo feeling queasy about playing guard at the pro level?<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I can play anywhere. It\u2019s the first day of practice. I don\u2019t know where I\u2019m going to play in September on in, so I\u2019m really just coming in here and taking it day by day and doing whatever I\u2019m asked to\u2026 I\u2019m just a powerful guy. I\u2019m quick off the ball, so you know, the guards are more of the post players and they\u2019ve got to get the double teams started, so that\u2019s just kind of what I\u2019ve prided myself on \u2014 getting it started so the center and the tackle can come in and clean up.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked by local media at Dolphins\u2019 rookie minicamp over the weekend when the last time he played guard was, Proctor said this with a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cPractice of freshman year, probably, at college. That\u2019s probably the last time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s hope Proctor\u2019s transition to a new spot during his rookie year in Miami is a smooth one. Even though he\u2019ll likely take over the right tackle spot once Austin Jackson\u2019s tenure in South Florida is done, having positional versatility is something that the club\u2019s new regime values highly.<\/p>\n