NFL Draft 2012: Michael Egnew Picked Up By The Miami Dolphins In Third Round

With the 78th selection in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins have selected Michael Egnew, a tight end out of the University of Missouri. Egnew was projected to go in the third or fourth round so this selection confirmed expectations.

Egnew had 147 receptions, 1,332 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns during his four year career with the Tigers. Due to the change in quarterback from Blaine Gabbert to James Franklin, Egnew's receiving numbers dipped a little bit his senior season, but he's an athletic pass catching tight ends that NFL teams are beginning to love as they try to emulate players like Aaron Hernandez and Dallas Clark.

So far Egnew is the only player that has been drafted from the Missouri Tigers, but wide receivers like Jerrell Jackson and Wes Kemp could still come off the board before the end of the draft.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, head over to Rock M Nation. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.

The pro careers of recent Missouri tight ends like Chase Coffman or Martin Rucker might make NFL front offices a little more leery than they should be of considering current Mizzou product Michael Egnew in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. Scouts generally place Egnew among the top five tight ends available, and mocks will place him somewhere in the middle rounds. However, all it takes is for one team to fall in love with him, and Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has a few scouts’ opinions as the draft nears.

McGinn has Titans scout Johnny Meads saying, “You’re kind of leery because of [Missouri’s history with tight ends],” Meads said. “He runs really well. He had production. Nowadays, how they use tight ends, I think he can be that type of guy.”

Another scout is not so sure however. “They don’t teach them how to block there and then he shows up at the Senior Bowl and has no idea,” one scout said. “In that offense they don’t ask him to run routes. It’s all straight-line, find the space and get open. Or throw it up and you can jump and go make a catch. Real good kid. You’re betting on the come.”

Egnew had 147 catches and 8 touchdowns in his Missouri career.

The 2012 NFL Draft is begins in almost exactly one week away, and while most prospects are sweating the small stuff wondering if their names will be called during the seven-round, three-day event, former University of Missouri defensive end Dominique Hamilton isn't worrying too much.

That's because the 6-foot-5, 320 pounder, who's projected to go in the middle rounds, is confident that he will join the long list of Tiger defensive players in the NFL.

"There will come a time when people will be like, 'Do you see all these Missouri D-linemen killing it in the NFL?'" Hamilton said. "They'll start using social media and making videos of us.

"I'm waiting for that day."

Hamilton maybe right, as over at SB Nation's blog Mocking The Draft, writer Dan Kadar broke down the strengths and weaknesses of Hamilton and had some positive things to say:

Strengths: Plays with a lot of effort and has some nastiness to his game. Carries his weight extremely well for a big player. Has a frame to add more weight and possibly transition to nose tackle in the NFL, which he also did at Missouri. Great length. Does a good job of getting a hand up into passing lanes.

Weaknesses: Needs to be cognizant of how high he comes off the snap. Loses his leverage by letting linemen get underneath him. Quickness of the snap is questionable. Needs to develop secondary pass rush moves. Likely a rotational-only player. Missed part of 2010 with a broken ankle.

Come the first day of the NFL Draft, Hamilton may not have his name called, but, in the end his impact -- as many Tiger fans have seen -- could be a big one.

For mrsore on the Missouri Tigers, head over to Rock M Nation. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.

From the multiple scouting reports and mock drafts now available, Michael Egnew's draft status is becoming clearer, and it looks like the Missouri product is going to end up somewhere in the middle rounds. There are a number of tight ends that are all projected around the same place, with names like Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen expected to go ahead of them. Egnew needs just one team to fall in love with him more than the others to go earlier, but it's likely he's a third-to-fifth round selection.

One player he draws comparisons to is Leonard Pope, according to Walter Cherepinsky, and given the longevity of Pope's career that's a good thing. He writes:

Egnew doesn't have the size of Pope (6-8, 264). However they have a similar-style game. Pope is able to contribute some as a receiver, but his lack of foot speed limits him from getting yards after the catch, just like Egnew. Entering the NFL, Egnew doesn't ever project to being as good a blocker as Pope is. Pope was a third-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and Egnew looks like a mid-round pick.

The 2012 NFL Draft runs from April 26-28.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, head over to Rock M Nation. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.

Former Missouri Tigers tight end Michael Egnew knew he had something to prove at the NFL combine this past weekend in Indianapolis. After having a strong 2010 campaign that included 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns, his 2011 season was a bit of a let down with just 50 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns. Egnew was was projected to be a top five tight end coming into the draft, but with his workouts his stock might've risen slightly. Per Wes Bunting of the National Football Post:

Missouri TE Michael Egnew.
Say what you want about Egnew not playing nearly as fast/quick on tape as his 40-time indicated (4.6). But, the guy still had one heck of a workout. He was one of the top performers at his position in the short shuttle, three-cone, broad and vertical jump and overall displayed the athletic ability needed to be an intriguing "off the line Y" prospect at the next level.

Draft Status: Potential mid round pick

With more offenses flexing the tight end out wide and getting matched up versus linebackers in space, Egnew looks to be a crucial asset for any team that needs a playmaking tight end. Can Egnew live up to the promise? We'll find out soon enough.

For more on the Missouri Tigers, head over to Rock M Nation. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.

The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine has officially begun as offensive linemen and tight ends have weighed in. You may think that it's strange for the combine to be such a huge deal and that it resembles farmers parading their prize bulls at a farmer's auction, but in reality this is the beginning of the most important job interview of their entire lives. The Missouri Tigers have one former player that has weighed in with the first group, tight end Michael Egnew, and thanks to WalterFootball.com, we have the results.

Egnew stood at 6-foot-5 and weighed in at 252 pounds. He also had an arm length measurement of 33 inches and a hand measurement of nine and 3/4 inches. Egnew caught 50 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns in 2011 and he caught 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 2010. He's considered by many scouts to be in the top five tight ends in this year's draft class.

Egnew still has to run his 40-yard dash, his 10-yard split, measure his vertical leap and do the bench press. That will begin tomorrow.

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The Missouri Tigers will have a handful of players attending the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, while the Kansas Jayhawks have just one representative receiving an invite. The Kansas St. Wildcats were excluded altogether. While the list of snubs to this year's Combine in Indianapolis is long, one Wildcats player seems to stand out.

Wes Bunting of the National Football Post recently posted a rundown of the notable snubs among NCAA offensive players. Wildcats running back Bryce Brown was near the top of his list.

Watching him run in Lane Kiffin's zone scheme as a freshman, the guy was an impressive back with a lot of natural talent. He was the number one ranked recruit out of high school, ahead of Trent Richardson in 2009 and no doubt has the skill set to play in the league. The biggest question mark for him going forward is his overall character.

If all goes well, Brown will still be selected in the draft as a standout running back. It is a shame that he will miss out on his chance to personally impress the NFL scouts and evaluators at the Combine.

For updates and perspective on the Kansas State Wildcats, head on over to Bring on the Cats. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out SB Nation's 2012 NFL Draft page and Mocking the Draft.