Wake still upbeat
At 36, Dolphins defensive lineman looks to future.
DAVIE — One of the hardest things to do in the NFL is find your lane, and then accept that role.
Most players who reach the highest level of professional football were stars in college who must learn to become special teamers, and role players before they can become NFL starters, and possibly NFL stars.
And a player’s draft status — whether it be first or seventh round — usually has little bearing on what that lane is.
But at times it does provide a little assistance.
Walt Aikens, a former Liberty standout who was selected in the fourth-round of the 2014 NFL draft, was given that boost in 2015 when starting safety Louis Delmas suffered a season-ending knee injury during a joint practice Miami was holding with the Carolina Panthers that summer.
With Delmas lost for the year, Miami needed someone to replace him, and Aikens’ draft status and upside made him the organization’s first choice.
Aikens started that season’s first three games, but his performance during that stretch was uneven and the Dolphins replaced him with Michael Thomas the rest of the season.
This week, Aikens openly admitted his second-season struggles hurt his confidence, and as a byproduct he’s only played a handful of snaps on defense since.
“I kind of got down on myself,” Aikens said. “But I know I can ball. I know I can go out there and play. [It is] just about getting on the field now. When the opportunity comes, show out.”
Since losing that starting safety spot Aikens has established himself as one of Miami — if not the NFL’s — best special teams players. He can usually be spotted on the sidelines running down on punts consistently evading two blockers.
While he values his role on that unit, and is appreciative of the twoyear, $2.7 million deal the Dolphins gave him this offseason, Aikens hasn’t given up on his goal of becoming a contributor to Miami’s defense.
“My ultimate goal is to get out on the field and ball out and show them what I’ve really got,” said Aikens, who has contributed 60 tackles, one interception and forced one fumble the past four seasons. “It’s been a long journey these past four, going on five [years] now. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win.”
This season Miami’s coaches have moved Aikens back to safety, undoing a decision made last year to make him a cornerback full-time.
He’s also expected to fill the leadership void created when Thomas signed with the New York Giants as a free agent this offseason. Thomas had served as the Dolphins’ special teams captain for the past two seasons, and he routinely finished in the top five in the NFL in special teams tackles.
Aikens has served as one of that unit’s top performers as well, and he’s not only aware, but is comfortable with more being put on his plate, on and off the field this season.
This summer Aikens became the national spokesperson for the Police Athletics League, which is a youth organization he was a part of growing up in Charlotte, N.C.
The Dolphins used Aikens in a dime package, as a pseudo-linebacker, in Miami’s 22-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the season finale last year to explore the upside of playing the 6-foot-1-inch, 212-pounder closer to the line of scrimmage. The plan was to take advantage of what head coach Adam Gase labels Aikens’ strength, which is his tackling.
But three safeties — Reshad Jones, T.J McDonald and rookie Minkah Fitzpatrick, Miami’s 2018 first-round pick — are all ahead of him on the depth chart. And then there’s youngsters like Jordan Lucas, a 2016 sixthround pick, Trae Elston, a second-year player claimed off the waiver wire late last season, and Maurice Smith, a second-year player who made it onto Miami’s 53-man regular-season roster as an undrafted rookie, working to carve out a role for themselves at safety, and on special teams.
This time around Aikens, who was guaranteed $800,000 of his $1.3 million salary this season, isn’t boosted by his draft standing. He’ll have to earn an extended stay — and role — through his performance.
“We’re always trying to take guys that are excellent at special teams like he is and find a role for him somewhere on defense,” Gase said. “I know he’s worked extremely hard to try to find that role on defense. I know he wants to be a part of that.”