Dolphins Draft Leonte Carroo

With the 86th pick (third round) in 2016 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select…Leonte Carroo, wide receiver, Rutgers.

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Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier said Carroo brings toughness, versatility, and was a target player that they held in high-regard, hence trading with the Minnesota Vikings to move back into the third round (possibly ahead of the New England Patriots) to select the former Scarlet Knight.

Carroo believes he was the best receiver available in the draft, but he was the ninth wide out taken. He will look to prove those who passed on him wrong.

Grier said the Edison, N.J. native’s “alpha personality” is one of his qualities they like about him and the fact that he is mentally and physically tough and can handle the grind of a long season. In addition they love the fact he loves the game of football and loves to compete, and those traits can rub off on the rest of the locker room and can make the team better.

Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill now has a new young weapon at his disposal. Jarvis Landry made 110 catches for 1,157 yards and four touchdowns a year ago, and Kenny Stills, who came over from the New Orleans Saints a year ago caught 27 balls for 440 yards and three touchdowns. Last year’s rookie first round pick DeVante Parker was limited to 26 catches for 494 yards and three touchdowns. Grier said he expects Carroo to come in and battle for a starting job, but also contribute on special teams, something Carroo did exclusively his whole freshman season at Rutgers.

Carroo totaled a school-record 29 receiving touchdowns over 31 career games at wide receiver, having 10 multiple-score showings with five three-touchdown performances. No other player in program history has two games with three scores. The 5-foot-11, 211-pounder averaged a touchdown every 4.2 receptions over his three years on offense.

A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Carroo racked up 2,373 receiving yards to place third in the program record books. Carroo ranks second behind Kenny Britt in Scarlet Knights history with 12 outings of at least 100 yards. The big play threat averaged 19.5 yards per catch with 12 gains of at least 40 yards and scored on ever 4.2 receptions.

Rutgers WR Leonte Carroo (Photo – DoubleGSports)

Carroo finished his collegiate career with 39 receptions for 809 yards and 10 touchdowns over eight games as a senior, a total that led the Big Ten. He capped his time as a Scarlet Knight with a career-best 183 yards in his final game and was named 2015 Homer Hazel MVP as the team’s most valuable player.

After Carroo was selected by the Dolphins, Mike Mayock from the NFL Network said, “This is a really competitive kid. When he gets the ball into his hands, he’s angry.”

Carroo becomes the first Scarlet Knight to be drafted by the Dolphins since Keith Woetzel was selected as a linebacker in the seventh round in 1983, and the 58th player taken in the draft to come out of Rutgers.

Carroo will report to the Dolphins rookie mini camp next Thursday and will return home when Miami battles the New York Jets on December 17.

Look out for former Rutgers linebackers Steve Longa and Quentin Gause, as well as offensive tackle Keith Lumpkin to potentially get their named called today, the final day of the this year’s version of the NFL Draft.

You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWasky