As the reconstruction of the Miami Dolphins is well underway, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan believes a holdover is in store for a breakout as the new era dawns.
With little hesitation, Sullivan tabbed tight end Greg Dulcich as the Dolphins player he believes is poised to make a leap in 2026.
"Dulcich," the new GM told ESPN’s Kevin Clark recently when asked who he was excited about showing improvement in the upcoming season. "I thought he had a really good back end of the season, and I want to see if he can build on that."
In 10 games last season (all of them coming in Week 8 and beyond), Dulcich produced 26 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown for a pedestrian Dolphins offense. His finest showing was in Week 17 when he posted five grabs for 58 yards and his lone score, an 11-yarder from Quinn Ewers in a 20-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was Miami's only win over its final four games.
Over four seasons, Dulcich has bounced from the Denver Broncos to the New York Giants to the Dolphins. When Dulcich inked a one-year, $3.25 million contract with Miami in March, it signaled the first time he signed a second contract with a team.
Once an aspiring quarterback during his days at St. Francis High in La Cañada, California, Dulcich became a standout wide receiver for the late Jim Bonds. Bonds was a baseball and football player at UCLA, where he played with Dave Roberts and was stuck at QB behind future Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, respectively. Dulcich became a walk-on tight end who rose to promise at UCLA and was drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft's third round by the Broncos and general manager George Paton, who was Bonds' former UCLA roommate.
A big-play weapon at tight end, Dulcich has been hampered by injuries throughout his NFL career, including his rookie campaign. Still, he flashed his potential in his very first league game, breaking loose for a 39-yard score off a Russell Wilson pass during a Monday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Over his first two years with Denver, Dulcich played in just 12 of a potential 34 games. Midway through his third season, he was waived as he never seemed to be an ideal fit for Sean Payton's offense. Dulcich's rookie season and his 2025 campaign stand as the only two in which he's appeared in double-digit games (10 on both occasions). In those 20 games, he produced 59 receptions for 746 yards, averaging 12.6 yards per catch.
In Jeff Hafley, Dulcich is set to play for his fifth full-time NFL head coach (after Nathaniel Hackett, Payton, Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel). If the 26-year-old can stay healthy and stay in the favor of Hafley and new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, perhaps Dulcich can fulfill all the promise he's showed in flashes so far.
That's certainly what Sullivan is banking on.
"It's why we brought him back," the GM said.
