More than seven years ago, Frank Smith got his first taste of what tight end Jonnu Smith could do on the football field.
Frank Smith was part of the coaching staff that worked with the former Florida International player at the 2017 Senior Bowl, and it was immediately clear that Jonnu Smith was meant to play in the NFL.
“You could just see when he was coming out of FIU, certain things were new to him, but he was just a guy who got football. He got it fast,” Smith said earlier this week. “To watch him and see how his career has gone has been awesome … you knew this guy is going to be a good pro, and he’s going to have a long career.”
Now, the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator gets to use his talents over the course of a full season. Smith signed with Miami on a two-year, $8.4 million contract this offseason, and he made his debut in the Dolphins offense on Saturday.
The former Titans, Patriots and Falcons player made his first catch in aqua against the Commanders. He ended the night with four catches for 23 yards, including a jet sweep touch pass play that showed glimpses of how he could be used throughout the season.
Jonnu Smith is gonna be really fun to watch this season, isn’t he? 👀pic.twitter.com/2zYyxPpysQ
— The Kevin Harlan Effect (@KevHarlanEffect) August 17, 2024
While Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel wouldn’t own up to any pre-planned packages for the multi-faceted player, he did say Saturday was a step forward in getting Smith comfortable in the offense.
“It was important for us to get him some burn that way so he could be comfortable like we know him to be and for him to be his best self,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “Jonnu is an example of, I think there’s multiple players offensively for us that can serve different roles at different times, which from a schematic standpoint, you’re able to present different problems in varied personnel groups and feature different skill sets that makes your offense more multiple.”
Outside of what Smith’s talents provide to the Dolphins offensive game plan, his personality and physicality make him a valuable asset for Miami, McDaniel said. The head coach mentioned Smith’s physicality, while Smith praised the tight end’s willingness to play a blocking role in a play-action offense.
And it doesn’t hurt that he’s invigorating the sideline.
“I think his second touch during the last preseason game was cool for multiple reasons,” McDaniel said. “If you look back on it, seeing some of his teammates on the sidelines and what energy he brings to the game, how connected the team is at this stage. I think we’ve been a very close team the last couple years, and I think we’re much further along in those relationships, and so that’s exciting for us. I think he is a galvanizer, and I think (on) the sidelines you can see how that is.”
