Laremy Tunsil wasn’t expected to be on the board when the Dolphins were picking 13th in the first round of last month’s draft, but Tunsil tumbled after a video showing him smoking pot surfaced and Miami was there to stop his fall.
Tunsil played left tackle at Ole Miss and is expected to play that position in the NFL as well, although it looks like his first stop on the Dolphins offensive line will be at guard because Branden Albert and Ja’Wuan James are installed at left and right tackle. Albert said Tuesday that he isn’t threatened by Tunsil’s addition and that he’s spending time making sure the rookie is ready to play as soon as possible because it’s the best thing for the team.
“I’m the left tackle of this team. I wasn’t worried about anything,” Albert said, via ESPN.com. “I’m trying to bring [Tunsil] along the best I can. The faster he moves along, the faster that his progress comes, the faster we get the five best offensive linemen on the field. ... and that’s going to help the team.”
Albert said he’s down to 313 pounds, which is as light as he’s been since leaving the Chiefs for the Dolphins, and that losing weight has made for less impact on his knees a year after returning from a torn ACL and MCL. A healthy Albert would be a good thing for the Dolphins line in 2016 and beyond, even if it means Tunsil continues his NFL education at other positions.