New Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan put his stamp on the organization on Thursday night — making his first pick as the new front office leader. That pick, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, left plenty of Dolphins fans scratching their heads — especially after Sullivan passed on safety Caleb Downs and Miami Hurricanes EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. in order to select the Alabama left tackle.
However, Sullivan is very excited about what Proctor brings to Miami.
“We thought Proctor was rare. His
height, weight, speed, production — the things he can do on the football field for a man his size — he’s an outlier. There’s not many like him… We had a lot of conviction on Proctor being a very unique player in this draft, and one that we can build around for years.”
Sullivan then spoke on how the selection of Proctor is going to benefit newly signed quarterback Malik Willis.
“We invested in Malik [Willis] and it was important for us to protect him — to make sure that he has time to do the things that he needs to do and keep him healthy. So, that was part of the conversation as well. We’re thrilled with the pick. We’re happy to have him. We have a lot of faith in the person and we think he’s going to be a really good player here.
No apologies.”
Time will tell if Proctor was the correct gamble for Sullivan and the new Miami Dolphins leadership group, but it’s clear that the team’s new general manager isn’t going to back down from his conviction when it comes to building the team in his image. Whether or not you agree with the results — you have to appreciate the unrelenting mindset.
Now, let’s just hope it leads to wins for the Dolphins come September.
For Sullivan’s entire post-first round press conference with the South Florida media, watch the video below.
