Smith legit No. 3 WR if Fins throw him ball

Just throw him the darn ball. Please, throw him the ball. I like the Dolphins’ acquisition of tight end Jonnu Smith on one condition — the Dolphins must get him the ball.

Are you picking up on a theme here?

Acquiring Smith, a mid-level receiving tight end who had 50 receptions last season, is a good move by general manager Chris Grier.

Durham Smythe fills the role of blocking tight end, while Smith fills the role of receiving tight end.

The Dolphins desperately needed a No. 3 receiving option behind standout wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Smith (6-foot-3, 248 pounds) could fill that role.

This move shows organizational and coaching awareness by Grier and Mike McDaniel.

Give them credit.

But don’t give them too much credit. Let’s make sure they follow through with the plan.

Smith, a 28-year-old seven-year veteran, can’t succeed by himself.

Someone in the Dolphins’ administrative building must make sure McDaniel understands he must fully utilize Smith.

And then McDaniel must make sure quarterback Tua Tagovailoa understands he must fully utilize Smith.

And finally, Smith must meet expectations by running good routes, catching the ball and fighting for yards after the catch.

It takes a village to produce a successful No. 3 receiving option.

The No. 3 receiver is a role that’s been unnecessarily absent in McDaniel’s offense since his arrival.

In the previous two seasons it seemed there was a lack of enthusiasm (trust?) from somewhere — coaches, play-callers, quarterbacks, or all three — toward throwing to anyone aside from Hill or Waddle.

That must change.

In truth, the Dolphins’ No. 3 receiver could be any position — tight end, slot receiver, running back. And it might turn out to be a slot receiver or running back. We’ll see.

Smith said he welcomes the opportunity.

“I think that adding me to this offense and to this system and to this team,” Smith said Wednesday. “Ultimately, I can be a solution to helping us now get to where we want to go.”

It’s no secret Miami’s passing game is top heavy.

In each of the past two seasons, both Hill and Waddle, as Miami’s No. 1 and 2 receivers, each have had at least twice as many receptions as Miami’s No. 3 receiver.

For example, last season Hill had 119 receptions, Waddle had 72 and Smythe had 35.

None of the league’s top teams are fashioned that way.

In fact, in the past two seasons only three other teams have hit that statistical quirk, and none made the playoffs — Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Chicago in 2023.

It reeks of imbalance. Opposing defenses take advantage by focusing on those two players in the passing game — Hill and Waddle — with no other worries. None. Zero.

Good teams had absolutely no problem limiting Miami’s passing game last season, as the Dolphins’ 1-6 record and 16 points-per-game average vs. playoff teams would suggest.

It was an obvious strategy as Miami’s offense had no credible No. 3 receiver. They might have one in Smith. Of course, we won’t know unless they commit to throwing him the ball.

By the way, don’t expect a miracle. Smith isn’t going to change the Dolphins’ offense.

He’s not that type of player.

But Smith doesn’t have to play at a Pro Bowl level. He simply needs to fill a much-needed role by providing a No. 3 receiving option — and a No. 1 receiving option in certain situations, such as 3rd-and-short, red zone, goal line and 1st-and-10 from the opponent’s 25-yard line.

He can do that with his size and physicality.

Ideally, Smith opens receiving options for Tagovailoa and play-calling options for McDaniel.

“That’s something I pride myself on,” Smith said, “making sure I’m an everydown player and you can use me in any situation.”

Smith’s statistics aren’t as important as his role.

But for the record, his 50 receptions for 582 yards last season for the Falcons were both career bests. He also had three touchdowns.

Statistically, Smith is in the same neighborhood as fellow tight ends Smythe (35 receptions, 366 yards, no touchdowns in 2023) and Mike Gesicki (32-362-5).

Smith averages 31 receptions, 346 yards and three touchdowns per season for his career. As he showed last season, he’s capable of doing more.

Yes, it’d be nice to have a game-changing tight end such as Kansas City’s Travis Kelce or San Francisco’s George Kittle. But they’re potential Hall of Famers, which means they’re extremely rare.

A dynamic tight end along the lines of Detroit’s Sam LaPorta or Baltimore’s Mark Andrews, a potential Pro Bowler and a former Pro Bowler, would be great, but it’s not a requirement.

Having receiving options is the requirement. The Dolphins have Smith.

The key now is making sure McDaniel and Tagovailoa throw him the ball.