Thanks largely to a strong combine performance and draft prep raising his draft stock, former Notre Dame tight end Durham Smythe was drafted No. 123 overall Saturday by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round.
Smythe’s Irish career never quite popped, peaking with 15 catches for 244 yards and one touchdown last season after pulling in nine passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns in 2016. Despite those aerial ups-and-downs, Smythe was always a dependable run blocker. He returned for a fifth year with Notre Dame partly due to the arrival of offensive coordinator Chip Long from Memphis, knowing Long had a past of utilizing tight ends productively in his offensive scheme.