INDIANAPOLIS — Tommy Eichenberg is going through the draft process three years after his older brother Liam did the same before he became a second-round pick of the Miami Dolphins and he got some simple brotherly advice.
"He told me just be yourself really," Tommy said at the scouting combine Wednesday. "He's like, look, man, you love football, just be yourself and you'll be all right."
Tommy Eichenberg was a star linebacker at Ohio State after his brother played at Notre Dame and he says playing with or against his brother at the NFL level would be a dream come true.
As things stand now, it's probably not likely the Dolphins would draft Tommy Eichenberg because he's projected as a third- or fourth-round pick and those are the two rounds the Dolphins currently don't have a pick.
But there's nothing to prevent the Dolphins from moving around the draft board and get a pick in one of those two rounds.
Unlike other positions where the Dolphins don't have a lot of players under contract, all their inside linebackers from 2023 — Jerome Baker, David Long Jr., Duke Riley and Channing Tindall — are under contract for the next season, though that could change once Miami makes some moves to get under the salary cap by the start of the new league year March 13.
The scouting report on Eichenberg emphasizes his work against the run, his leadership and his toughness — he returned late in the 2023 season after missing two games with a dislocated elbow — though he comes up a bit short in the area of athleticism, speed and quickness.
BIG SEASON COMING UP FOR LIAM EICHENBERG
While he was drafted earlier than his brother is projected to be, Liam's NFL career so far has involved some ups and downs and he's headed into a pivotal season — for him and maybe for the Dolphins.
Eichenberg has started 38 games all over the offensive line in his three seasons with Miami, but his play has been uneven enough that his long-term future with the team is less than certain as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
It was in a backup capacity that Eichenberg ended up starting 10 games in 2023, making starts at both left guard and center.
But he could find himself battling for a starting position next training camp with the team's three starting interior linemen from 2023 — Robert Hunt, Connor Williams and Robert Hunt — all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents March 13.
The chances of the Dolphins bringing back all three of those players would seem rather small, so Eichenberg would figure to get a shot at starting again and maybe convincing the team to sign him to an extension.
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