DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins have had a surprising amount of success with seventh-round picks in recent years. Former receiver Rishard Matthews, defensive end Terrence Fede and former defensive back Jimmy Wilson were among recent seventh-rounders who made the team and contributed.

Rookie tight end Thomas Duarte is the latest Dolphins prospect to be taken in the draft's final round. He has a lot of work ahead this offseason, but here is why Duarte has a chance: He brings a lot of athletic traits rookie head coach Adam Gase is looking for in a tight end.

This is an important position in Gase's new offense, and Duarte is versatile enough to play as a tight end-receiver hybrid. He caught 97 passes for 1,626 yards and 17 touchdowns during his collegiate career at UCLA.

“If there’s one way I would describe my game is just a playmaker,” Duarte said. “I’m always around the ball, make sure I catch everything. Definitely that’s my biggest thing. ... Once it leaves the quarterback’s hand, [it’s] my job to catch it, and that’s what I plan on doing.”

The Dolphins have a solid tight-end duo in place with former Pro Bowler Jordan Cameron and backup Dion Sims. Cameron is more of a receiving tight end, while Sims does more of the dirty work with run blocking and pass protection.

Duarte hopes to find a role somewhere in this group. His skills are closer to Cameron's as a receiving tight end. But Duarte also could bring value on special teams.

Duarte had an interesting answer when asked who he compares his game to.

“Definitely Jordan Reed,” Duarte said of the Washington Redskins tight end who recently earned a $50 million extension. “I got a lot of comparisons to him and I definitely watched a lot of his games this year and tried to implement his quickness with his speed. The key awareness in route running transfers over to the same thing that I can do.”