The Miami Dolphins’ offense struggled to get going for most of their preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, as they had only scored six points through the first three quarters.
When seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson and fourth-round pick Erik Ezukanma got on the field, late in the second half, there seemed to be a spark.
In their two drives together, Thompson hit Ezukanma five times for 88 yards, as the rookie quarterback led Miami to a touchdown and then put them in field goal position on their final possession.
After the game, both players were asked about their connection, and Ezukanma said it’s just something that’s been there since the beginning.
“Ever since rookie minicamp, I would come in and just felt like it’s a connection there,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a Big 12 connection or anything like that, but just me and Skylar, it’s just natural I feel like when I’m out there. We’re able to communicate and talk through things, and when the ball is in the air, I just go up there and make plays.”
Thompson echoed a similar sentiment, as he reminisced their early days at rookie minicamp.
“I came in with Erik, so we spent a lot of time together – learning the playbook and all that stuff when we first came in here,” Thompson said. “Really, we hit it off from the get-go in rookie minicamp. Erik’s always been my guy, so when the clock’s ticking and it’s time to go, I’m going to go to my guys that I trust and who are doing a good job, and he’s been doing a great job. All the guys out there with me tonight were making plays, doing the right thing, making plays for me. It makes my job a lot easier when I’ve got guys that go out there and do that.”
While Ezukanma’s job was essentially guaranteed when he was selected in the fourth round, Thompson’s was far from it. However, they’re both playing to a level that might convince the team to keep Thompson on the 53-man roster and give Ezukanma more opportunities when the regular season starts.
