T Ryan Hayes
(I wanted to know about position versatility and can you play inside? Are you going to play left tackle? Can you play right tackle? What have the Dolphins told you about your role?) – “I don’t know a ton about what they want me to do yet, but I’m definitely – I’ll play anywhere. I can play tackle. Played tackle – both tackles a little bit in college – mostly left, but I’d be open to moving inside, wherever gets me on the field and helps the team win. So I’m open.”
(Do you have any experience – extensive – I know you just said you played on the right side, but any extensive experience moving around – high school or earlier in your career?) – “In high school, I was actually – I came into college as a tight end, so I actually hadn’t played any o-line until I got to Michigan. And then for my first year I played on the right side and then the last four years I was mainly left tackle.”
(For those of us who have not yet studied your film, how would you describe what we’ll probably see?) – “I think I’m a smart player. I know where I’m going at all times. That allows me to know my angles, so I think I play fast. It allows me to play extremely fast and use my athleticism to an advantage. And every play I’m out there, I’m going to finish as hard as I can to the whistle. So you’re going to get a hard-working guy that flies around the field.”
(Is there an NFL lineman that you have enjoyed studying especially I don’t know, maybe a former Michigan guy? Anything like that?) – “Yeah, I kind of like to watch the top guys around the league at other positions. Guys like Trent Williams, guys like that. But I definitely have watched a ton of Terron Armstead. We had an old coach that used to coach, so we watched a lot of his old film so it’s really going to be awesome getting in that room with him and learning what he has for me.”
(Who was the coach and what was his position on the staff?) – “It was Bret Ingalls with the Saints.”
(I was looking at some of your background here. I saw conference player of the year in basketball, conference pitcher of the year in high school. How do you think playing multiple sports and excelling at that really helped you on the football field?) – “I was always competing year-round. I think that’s what I love to do. I just loved sports growing up so that kept me busy, kept me doing all kinds of things. I think it got me prepared for the next level, switching to o-line – I had never done that before, but did so many things already that I think I was prepared for it. So I’m super excited for this next challenge.”
(I also saw that your dad was a guard at Central Michigan and your mother was a hooper, an All-American hooper. Who do you think you got more of your athletic ability from – Mom or Dad?) – “My dad would say the same thing, but definitely a little more from my mom. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask you, what are you weighing now? Because when I saw your weight, I was kind of intrigued that you’re under 300 pounds. Is that something that’s hard for you to do, to keep on weight as a former tight end?) – “No, actually right before I got to the Combine, I got a little food poisoning like I’ve never had before. So I lost a little bit of weight. It was kind of hard to get back on right before. But at my pro day, I weighed in at 305 and right now I’ve been between 305 and 310. So that’s not an issue. It was just kind of a weird thing. Bad timing.”
(And I wanted to ask you also about what is the Michigan program, because they’ve got a good reputation for producing offensive linemen? How do you feel that helped you in this process and what has the draft process been like?) – “The draft process has been up and down. I mean, obviously I was trying to take everything in because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But from Michigan, I think it prepared me really well for this process. We run a lot of the same schemes I think that we were being taught and asked to talk about through the process. Obviously we get great coaching there, so I don’t think I could have picked a better place to be at to get ready for this next step.”
(So you ran a lot of wide zone schemes?) – “We didn’t run a ton. I wish we ran a little more wide zone, but we had success with inside zone and gab scheme. But I definitely think my game will translate to wide zone. I’m really looking forward to running a lot more of that down in Miami.”
(You’re from Michigan. What are you looking forward most to from the transition from Michigan to South Florida?) – “Definitely just nice weather all the time. That’ll be great for me. I was hoping to get down there somewhere warm and it’s definitely a great place to be.”
(And can you speak a little bit on Coach Jim Harbaugh, and what he has taught you during your career at Michigan?) – “I think Coach Harbaugh has just taught us, he runs his program like he would a professional organization. I think that just I think that’s why so many Michigan players have success at the next level because we’re already kind of primed for what to expect. Not totally, but I think he just does a really good job of having it be business-like and result-oriented.”
(What were your initial reactions when you found out that you were getting drafted by the Dolphins?) – “I was super excited. Big weight off my shoulders. I didn’t know exactly if that’s what they were calling for or not, so I was just super happy when they told me they were taking my name off the board. I couldn’t really explain the feeling.”
(Were teams calling you about signing as an undrafted free agent at that point in draft?) – “I was hearing some rumblings from my agent but didn’t really know what was going on yet. But I knew it was getting towards the end.”
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Mike McDaniel:
(Mike, can you tell us what you liked most about TE Elijah Higgins and the versatility that he brings as a big wide receiver?) – “First of all, I’m just excited to add the competitor. You see through his game tape that he’s a guy that strains with the ball in his hands. But specifically for the tight end position, drafting a guy that plays wide receiver and converting him to tight end – I think the first time in my career that I was a part of that was Niles Paul back in 2011 out of Nebraska. For me and my history, there’s a lot of traits that he resembled in his competitiveness, in his size and in his strength. And really, this day in age, converting a receiver to a tight end isn’t as abstract as it used to be only because half the teams are playing spread and two-points anyway. Even if they’re called a tight end, they’re playing receiver stuff anyway. So you get kind of used to projecting people to do things like that and we felt very comfortable and confident that he fit the bill for that, so we’re excited to have him.”
(What is it about the players that you all drafted in the past seven out of eight years have played in the Orange Bowl?) – “Finally, someone caught on. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
“It’s a great coincidence.”
Mike McDaniel:
“We’re at a loss for words because we really thought that was our competitive advantage that you just exposed. (laughter) I think the Orange Bowl is a great bowl and I’m here to support it.”
Chris Grier:
(What did you guys think about T Ryan Hayes?) – “With him, he’s played a lot of football. Smart kid. Competitive. Tough. Came (to Michigan) as a tight end and converted (to offensive line) and worked. He’s been coached in a good program. Coach (Jim) Harbaugh has done a great job. Just watching him over the years develop and compete and play, so for us, we were excited at this point in the draft to add him into our group of guys coming in and competing.”
(The work doesn’t stop here of course. What would you say about the outlook heading into the undrafted free agent market?) – “Like you said, there’s still work to be done, so we’re going to bolt from here as soon as we can to go with the coaches and scouts and start preparing for the end of the draft and do it. But yeah, we’ll be trying to add the best players we can and hopefully we’ll find a couple undrafted gems or hidden gems for us to help the roster.”
(Last week you had mentioned that drafting for need is how you get yourself in trouble. Does that kind of same approach occur on Day 2 or Day 3 or does it change at all later in the draft?) – “I think when you get into the later rounds, you’re still always evaluating the roster and where potential holes could be – not just for this year but for the following year. But for us, it’s always still drafting the best player. We went by our board and the guys we picked today were the best players there for us, where we had them rated for what we were looking for. At the end of the day, you’re always still trying to add the best players because you never know where injuries and stuff will pop up on your roster from year to year.”
Mike McDaniel:
(A general roster question. There was some talk about you guys being interested in a veteran running back. Is that window still open or does RB Devon Achane kind of take that off the table so to speak?) – “Generally, nothing is off the table. But we’re really happy with the offseason we’ve had, the players that we were able to keep on this roster, the new ones that we’ve added, that we added in the draft and that we’re going to in free agency. There will always be stuff that we’ll investigate because that’s our job. So yes.”
Chris Grier:
(Just because this is the last time we’re going to see you guys for a couple weeks and for you, Chris, maybe a couple months, have you made decisions on fifth-year options on CB Noah Igbinoghene and OL Austin Jackson?) – “No, we’ll talk about that here after the draft when we finish up.”
(With only eight total draft picks in the last two years, maybe this is a great time to send a message out to some of the best undrafted free agent guys and why this would be a great place to sign?) – “I think with us, people have seen kind of what’s transpired here over the last year, and it speaks for the players that have wanted to come here and talked about it. From no recruiting or anything on our end, just kind of how we approach business, I think our players and the ones that have been in the building have talked about how they really like how Mike and the staff approach building a culture here and from Steve (Ross) and Tom (Garfinkel) support allowing us to do the things here that we do. South Florida is a great place to be, a great fan base, and we’re trying to build the best team we can to win games. I think people see and players see that we’re trying to win and doing things to win. So it’s an exciting time for us, but we know there’s a lot of work to be done still.”
Mike McDaniel:
“And on top of that, I think it’s one of the reasons it’s so important that you create competitive opportunities for players to play. One thing that is very important to Chris and I is that we’re a place where the best players play, and that’s something that I think is a draw for players as well, is we will give them an opportunity to compete. That’s really what all these guys want. They’re sitting through the draft watching so many people get taken over them, and really, you just say, ‘You know what? I’m good enough to play in the league. I just need an opportunity.’ We’ll provide that.”
(What have you all learned about each other during this process with four picks?) – “You learn – if you just open your eyes and ears, you learn so much about people every day. He’s very patient and tolerable of my personality, I’ve learned that. Four picks, the interesting thing about that is you’re very aware that you have a small opportunity to make your team better, but it’s a very real opportunity. So you don’t ever want to squander a draft pick, but the less you have to focus on, the less amount of draft picks. You have more attention on those parts of the draft and really what can you get out of it. So I think at this point, we probably know everything about each other, except for how sweaty my palms are going to get if we have a first-round draft pick. We don’t know that yet, but I won’t be that nervous.”
Chris Grier:
“I think the human communication part of it between the coaching staff, the scouts, has been really good. I think if you asked everyone in the building, a lot of work goes into drafts. As you know, it’s never a one-man show or a two-man – it’s a lot of people helping a lot of information done. I just think the environment of allowing everyone to have a voice in the process and really allowing people to have a say and really be free to speak on stuff has been really, really fun. It’s been a really good process. I think guys have really enjoyed it, and we felt we’ve had a good outcome.”
(In the end, how much was the loss of the first-round pick due to the tampering violations, how much did it affect this offseason, this draft? How much was felt?) – “For us, it was business as usual. You’re always going to have to deal with adversity in life, and when that happened, we just kind of moved on and go and adjust and just kind of be ready to react. It started from Bill Parcells years ago, ready to react because you never know what’s going to happen. So for us, once decisions were made, we just kind of moved on and said ‘OK,’ and looked at the roster and picks and free agency and kind of attacked it from there.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Honestly, since the pick was gone, I literally have not thought twice about it, just because it’s gone. So let’s worry about the stuff that we can actually control, like the draft picks we had.”
(Because he has a skillset for it, and because you guys selected CB Cam Smith, you guys had any conversations about possibly using CB Jalen Ramsey at safety?) – “No. Only because he’s really good at corner and so I try not to mess really good up. The cool thing about the defensive backfield in general, I think (Defensive Coordinator) Vic (Fangio) has hit this on the head a number of times, but five DBs on the field, it happens almost three-quarters of the time in the National Football League now. In Vic’s defense, in his system, if you understand it, there are a lot of different ways you can get on the field, there is some position versatility that if you go back to his history, there has been various people that have played in different spots. That has been in discussion but not with Jalen Ramsey. I would say I think he’s a good corner. What about you?”
Chris Grier:
“He’s not bad. (laughter)”
(T Taylor Lewan mentioned the Dolphins, is he a possibility?) – “When he was released, we reached out to his agent just to find out what was going on or what it was, and that’s the only conversation we’ve ever had. Whenever he got cut a month or so ago, that’s the only time I’ve ever talked to him. So I don’t if anyone else has, but that’s the only discussion we’ve had about him.
Mike McDaniel:
“It’s really par for the course on how Chris and his staff operate. You want to have all of the information. The second you have someone who is not on a team, are you fancying yourself to be on a team? Are you interested in playing? All of those things you have to dot your I’s and cross your T’s to make the right decisions. You’ve got to have all of the information available.”
TE Elijah Higgins
(What can you tell us about the Dolphins and how they expect to use you? I know already they’re listing you as a tight end. What’s your understanding on how they’re going to use you?) – “I’m definitely willing to make that transition obviously. I’m excited for it. I’m excited to learn the ins and outs of the offense and special teams and whatnot. But to my knowledge right now, that’s kind of the extent of my knowledge. Just transitioning into that tight end role and doing some different things in the passing game and run game as well.”
(Have you had any experience at tight end going back to your high school days or anything?) – “No, sir. I played in the slot in high school and through college. I did some stuff on the wing and some stuff in the backfield as well. But I was never in a true in-line position in college.”
(What was the extent of the conversations you had in the pre-draft process with the Dolphins? Are there any similarities in the offense that you had at Stanford that you think will kind of help you carry over into the NFL?) – “Yeah, I mean coming from Stanford, I think they utilized me well in the slot running up and down the seam. And then the conversations I had with the Dolphins and the coaching staff were just along the lines of making that transition to playing tight end and the development process that comes along with that. I’m excited about it for sure and ready to get to work.”
(I know you’re 230 pounds but do you expect you may have to put on a couple more pounds just to try to hold up closer to the offensive line in the trenches?) – “Yeah, whatever they ask of me obviously. Then from there, just do what’s asked of me and do it to the best of my ability.”
(I’m reading a couple of your scouting reports that say you’re a pretty good blocker at the wide receiver position. Obviously blocking is a required element of the tight end position. How would you describe your approach to blocking?) – “I would say that I’m aggressive for sure and I’m willing to get in battles, willing to fight other defenders for position on the field and just body position in general, obviously. But I would say I am aggressive, willing to block, willing to get my hands dirty and I’m excited to take on that role.”
(One of the stories I think mentioned that your dad played college football in the state of Florida. Is that right? What’s his name and what position did he play?) – “George Higgins is my dad’s name. He played at USF and walked on. Then actually enlisted in the military shortly after.”
(What do you take from your dad’s military experience? What impact did that have on the way you view and approach life?) – “Just being respectful at all times. Being humble, being grounded, being present in the moment and things like that. Then holding yourself accountable. Being able to depend on others and allowing them to depend on you as well.”
(I know you said the Dolphins told you that you would be a tight end. What did other teams tell you about how they would have used you?) – “It was a lot of the things on the same line as playing tight end. Different variations and such. But pretty consistent throughout, I would say, almost all of the teams, making that transition to the tight end position.”
(If you could draw up an ideal NFL role for yourself, what would it be?) – “I would say just that, to be honest. I’m excited to take that hybrid role on and be a guy that can help out in the run game but also catch some passes and get some yards after catch for the team. I feel like a good hybrid position for me is definitely where I envision myself.”
(I saw you were born in Florida. Do you still have family ties here? Are you excited to return to the state you came from originally?) – “Yeah, I’m actually in Tampa right now. My family moved back here and then my entire extended family is here as well. I’m excited to be back a little closer to home, be near family and be able to see family as well.”
(Can you take us through the emotions of getting that call and what that moment was like for you?) – “Yeah, it was a long process for sure. It was definitely difficult getting into Round 5, getting through Round 6. I was just kind of waiting around and it happened. I would say it’s definitely challenging to describe, but definitely a lot of emotions all at once. I think the ability to be able to process all those different types of emotions with family around was definitely a cool experience.”
(Just looking at some of your stats, you established yourself your junior year. Talk to me a little bit about your versatility. Is there anyone in particular that you like to model your game after?) – “I would say at this point now that I’m in the league – now that it’s past the draft, I would say no. I’m excited to take on my own identity as a football player and obviously, playing within the role of whatever system the Miami Dolphins have in mind for me. But I’m just excited to create my own identity on the football field.”
(Are there any challenges that you are kind of discouraged on as far as what may transpire or may not transpire as far as like the role?) – “I’m excited for challenges, man. I’m excited to grow. I’m excited for the experiences and stuff, and I’m excited to get better. So I’ll take on those challenges, and I’m excited for them.”
(I’m just curious to see if you have any prior connections to anybody on the Dolphins roster or coaches?) – “Not that I know of. I threw with Mike White a little bit these past few weeks when he was training in Tampa, but outside of that, that’s pretty much it.”
(Did you and QB Mike White have conversations about, “How cool would it be if you wounded up joining me with the Dolphins?”) – “No, it was just passing and catching out there. Not too much conversation. Just playing football.”
(What were your impressions of Head Coach Mike McDaniel in the pre-draft process and meeting him? A unique coach to say the least.) – “For sure. My knowledge of him, he’s just a great dude all around. He seems like a player’s coach, for sure. But the one coach I spent the most time with was the tight ends coach, Coach (Jon) Embree.”
(What did you think of Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends Jon Embree then?) – “I love Coach Embree, to be honest. He’s one of the favorite guys I met through this whole process, and that’s in all honesty. So I’m excited to work with him. I’m excited to be challenged, and I’m excited to learn from underneath him.”
