Rookie Recap: Miami Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry

Former LSU star Jarvis Landry exceeded expectations during his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins, and will be looking to build off of that performance in 2015.

When the Miami Dolphins selected Jarvis Landry late in the second round with the 63rd overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, they probably did not know that they had just landed a player that would emerge as a go-to receiver in his first year with the team. If you watched him at play at LSU, however, this should come as no surprise.

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Although Landry got off to a slow start to his NFL career, he made some noise down the stretch of his rookie campaign, becoming an integral part of Miami’s passing attack and return game.

With his quick feet, strong hands and a tremendous ability to create space and make defenders miss in the open field, Landry established himself as a vital piece of the Dolphins’ offense. He finished the season with the team-lead in receptions, hauling in 84 catches for 758 yards and 5 touchdowns, while adding another 1,158 yards as the team’s primary return man.

This season, the expectations from the Dolphins, the fans and Landry himself will be much higher as he transitions from being a role player into being Ryan Tannehill’s primary and most familiar target.

After an offseason that featured so much turnover in the receiving corps, the Dolphins are depending on Landry to push himself to the next level.

"“Part of it is getting players in the right spots,” head coach Joe Philbin told miamidolphins.com. “We know a little bit more about Jarvis, we know a lot about him as a slot. Part of the OTAs, mandatory minicamps, would be, what are some of the things he can do well on the outside? I think that if you are going to line up and play us, you’re going to be ready for him in the slot. But you may not quite be ready for him outside. So what are some of the things we can exploit, take advantage of based on his alignment? He’s really worked hard. His route-running fundamentals have looked really good.”"

In March, Miami traded Mike Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings, Brian Hartline signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Browns and Brandon Gibson joined a division foe, the New England Patriots. In order to replace these receivers, the Dolphins signed veteran wide-out Greg Jennings, picked up Kenny Stills from the New Orleans Saints and added tight end Jordan Cameron.

With all the new faces on offense, Tannehill will appreciate having Landry back as a familiar player he can rely on.

Along with the increased expectations coming from the Dolphins, Landry will continue to be compared to the other wide receivers who were taken in front of him in the 2014 Draft class. Landry, along with Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin and Jordan Matthews all made a big impact on the league in their rookie seasons, and are expected to be leading wide receivers on their respective teams for years to come.

If Landry has shown us anything during his college career at LSU and his brief tenure in the NFL, it is that he welcomes high expectations, and typically thrives under them.

Some critics say that he lacks big-play potential because his longest reception last season was only 25 yards, but others will disagree and argue that Landry is capable of being a game-breaker because of the 453 yards he tacked on after the catch.

Miami Dolphins fans should lean towards the latter.

There is a reason why over half of his receiving yards came after the catch, and with him expected to see action on the outside this season, there is no reason to believe that Landry will not develop into the big-play threat that scored more touchdowns at LSU than last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Odell Beckham Jr.

Next: LSU football: 5 players poised for a breakout season in 2015

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