The Dolphins got three more 2018 draft picks under contract on Wednesday.
The team announced that third-round linebacker Jerome Baker, fourth-round tight end Durham Smythe and fourth-round running back Kalen Ballage have agreed to four-year deals with the team. Second-round tight end Mike Gesicki is the only one of the team’s eight picks who has not signed his rookie contract yet.
Baker led Ohio State in tackles during the 2017 season and had 17.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two interceptions over his entire time in Columbus. Baker also showed strong coverage ability in last October’s game against Penn State as he held second-overall pick Saquon Barkley to four catches for 23 yards, which was well below his average of 11.7 yards per catch last season.
Smythe caught 28 passes during his career at Notre Dame as he was primarily used as a blocker. Gesicki made his name as a receiver, so the Dolphins likely envision the two rookies sharing the field quite a bit in the years to come.
Ballage ran 450 times for 1,984 yards and 27 touchdowns and also caught 82 passes during his time at Arizona State. He joins Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore as backfield options in Miami.