The Dolphins added an interesting UDFA Thursday, coming to terms with former North Carolina Central basketball player Jibri Blount. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound football convert is the son of Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount.
Jibri Blount began his hoops career at Cleveland State but did not break out until his transfer to North Carolina. With the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference program, Blount played a centerpiece role. As a senior, he scored 19.1 points per game and pulled down 9.3 rebounds per contest. This earned Blount MEAC Player of the Year acclaim. Jibri, however, did not play football in college.
This marks the second of Mel Blount’s sons to sign with the Dolphins. The team added Akil Blount as a UDFA in 2016. Akil did not play in a regular-season game but did have a football background, having played linebacker at Florida A&M. Jibri is attempting to make a basketball-to-football crossover, a move a few tight ends have completed over the past several years. Jibri will play tight end, according to the Dolphins.
Linked to Kyle Pitts ahead of the draft, the Dolphins were not in position to select the Florida star. They did add Boston College tight end Hunter Long in Round 3, however. Long joins Mike Gesicki on Miami’s roster. Jibri Blount certainly qualifies as a developmental player, but with practice squads expected to remain at or near the 16-player limit from last season, such gambles make sense.
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