Pair of linemen added as undrafted free agents

The Miami Dolphins added to their seven-player rookie haul in the 2021 NFL draft by signing undrafted free agents on Saturday night.

Middle Tennessee State offensive lineman Robert Jones and Indiana defensive tackle Jerome Johnson have joined the Dolphins. Both signings were announced by their college teams.

Jones was reliable for MTSU over the past two seasons after starting off at Highland (Kansas) Community College. He played in all 12 games and had 11 starts without allowing a sack in 2019 as a junior. In 2020, he started seven of eight games played in the pandemic-shortened season, playing 537 total snaps, which was second among the team’s offensive linemen.

Johnson recorded 111 tackles, 63 solo and 21 for loss, with 13 ½ sacks in his college career. He was a firstteam All-Big Ten selection by the media and named to the second team by coaches for his redshirt senior season last fall. He had 18 tackles, 4 ½ for loss, four sacks, one interception, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal in eight games. Johnson shared the Hoosiers’ lead in sacks as a junior in 2019 with five as part of his 43-tackle season. He also had a team-high 3 ½ sacks in

2018 as a sophomore.

The Dolphins also reportedly signed Alabama tight end/fullback Carl Tucker, who played in one game for the Crimson Tide last season after transferring from North Carolina. Tucker caught 36 passes and turned them into 549 yards and three touchdowns in his five seasons with the Tar Heels.

With the three signings, the Dolphins can still add three more undrafted free agents without having to cut any veterans or long shots to fit them on their 90-player training camp roster. Light units on the roster include linebacker, running back and defensive tackle, and the Dolphins could use an extra punter for training camp to compete with Michael Palardy, a former St. Thomas Aquinas High standout who was signed this offseason.

Last year, Miami did not hold the maximum for training camp, but it was a unique season affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, player opt-outs and lack of a preseason.

On the final day of the NFL draft on Saturday, the Dolphins added offensive tackle Larnel Coleman and running back Gerrid Doaks with their seventh-round selections. They traded their earlier Day 3 pick, a fifth-round selection, to get a fourth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.