Why Kacmarek Could Play a Bigger Role Than Expected in Passing Game
When the Miami Dolphins selected Will Kacmarek in the third round, many scouts and analysts highlighted his blocking as the best part of his game.
His receiving numbers were not heavily looked into due to having a small sample size over his two years at Ohio State. Kacmarek had a grand total of 23 receptions and only two touchdowns in his time there.
But context matters, and on that team were Carnell Tate, selected fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans; fellow tight end Max Klare, drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in Round 2; and Jeremiah Smith, a consensus top 5 pick in the 2027 draft.
Kacmarek knew he would not have a high volume of targets and embraced the role as the "Y" tight end as someone who would block and catch passes when the opportunity was presented. Kacmarek will still be asked to be a force in the trenches, but it would not be shocking to see an uptick in target volume.
This is a completely different environment for Kacmarek
Looking at the landscape of this Dolphins roster, this is a completely different environment for
Kacmarek. This is a Miami roster that has a receiving corps with no dominant player on the outside. This is a room that is filled with veterans who were depth pieces in Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, rookies in Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell, and others who fill out the roster, such as Malik Washington.
There's no one on paper who stands out as someone where defensive coordinators have to come up with multiple schemes to just stop one guy. Even in the tight end room, Greg Dulcich had a very solid first season in Miami, but no one has him in the upper echelon of tight ends.
As previously stated, even though there's not a ton of pass catching reps to look at, when Kacmarek was targeted, he did not record a single drop at Ohio State. Kacmarek even pointed out how reliable he was when given the chance to make a play.
"I don't think people give me enough credit for my passing ability. I was used in an offense with tons of weapons so the opportunities were limited, but whenever I got the ball, like you said, I had sure hands, I caught it and I made the most of it." Kacmarek said to reporters back in April after being drafted.
Although it is only OTAs, Kacmarek is showing his potential as a pass catcher, and the more tough catches made, the more Malik Willis can build trust with him.
The rate of using 12 personnel continues to grow in the NFL, using one running back and two tight ends, and according to Pro Football Focus, the 12 personnel percentage was at 24.26%, a 4 percent increase from two season ago.
With the Dolphins clearly going with an identity that is run-first offense, Kacmarek will be seeing a lot of offensive reps. Given there are games where the run game is flat-out imposing their will on other teams, Kacmarek can see opportunities in the pass game coming off of play-action plays.
The expectation of Kacmarek is not to come in and be a George Kittle or a Tucker Kraft threat in the passing game, but the opportunity is there for Kacmarek to see more passes thrown his way. General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan described Kacmarek as an "unsung hero" after drafting him, and the skill set he possesses could make him a fan favorite in this new regime.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 4:30 PM.