The Denver Broncos didn’t believe in tight end Greg Dulcich. Neither did the New York Giants. The Miami Dolphins really didn’t either, but after they were forced into using Dulcich in 2025, it turned out he never stopped believing in himself.
Dulcich turned his breakout season in 2025 with the Dolphins — 26 receptions for 335 yards and 1 touchdown in 10 games – into a 1-year, $3.25 million contract. He’s turned that opportunity into a standout offseason that landed him on ESPN’s list of the NFL’s “Biggest Surprises” just 1 month out from training camp.
“Dolphins fans might remember Dulcich’s late-season contributions, but he has emerged this spring as one of the primary targets in Miami’s passing game,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote on June 22. “Quarterback Malik Willis has an entirely new group of skill players to build chemistry with, but during team drills, there was clear trust in Dulcich, who was one of the best tight ends in the league last season at making plays after the catch. He returned from injured reserve in Week 8 and finished the season averaging the second-most yards after catch per reception (7.6) in that span.”
Coaching Switch, Injuries Hurt Greg Dulcich
Dulcich, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, was selected by the Broncos in the 3rd round (No. 80 overall) in the 2020 NFL draft and had career highs of 33 receptions for 411 yards and 2 touchdowns in 10 games as a rookie.
He found himself on the outside looking in when a new coaching staff led by Sean Payton was brought in before the 2023 season. Dulcich missed all but 2 games in 2023 with a hamstring injury, then played 4 games for the Broncos and was a healthy scratch for 8 games in 2024 before he was waived on November 25.
Dulcich finished the season with the Giants and landed with the Dolphins after he was part of the Giants’ final roster cuts in 2025.
Greg Dulcich Miami’s ‘Best Kept Secret’ in 2026
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski called Dulcich the “Best Kept Secret” for the Dolphins in 2026 after his standout performance in 10 games — the final 10 games of the regular season.
“Dulcich has had a number of false starts to his career despite the requisite athleticism and playmaking ability to become a dynamic target,” Sobleski wrote. “The veteran tight end did finish third on the Dolphins last season with 333 receiving yards. Miami still drafted a pair of tight ends, but Will Kacmarek is primarily an in-line blocker and Seydou Traore is a developmental fifth-round option. Furthermore, the Dolphins’ wide receivers remain highly suspect. However, Dulcich began to show serious potential during Miami’s final six games.”
Dulcich went from a walk-on at UCLA to a 2-time All-Pac-12 Conference selection with 68 receptions for 1,242 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over his final two seasons.
He left school with 1 year of eligibility remaining to enter the draft and caught the Broncos’ attention after running the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
“Dulcich is a long-legged, duck-footed runner who is faster than he looks, averaging 17.6 yards per catch for his career,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He can improve as a route-runner but might have three-level potential as a pass-catcher. He’s urgent and determined, adding extra yardage after the catch. He has a decent catch radius and tracks it well, but lacks the desired body control for tougher catch adjustments down the field.”
Former Broncos TE Called ‘Biggest Surprise’ in AFC East