Ranked number three on our list of UDFAs who may have a chance at a Miami Dolphins roster spot is Eugene Asante, a linebacker/special teams ace out of Auburn.

In the last edition of PICK 6, safety John Saunders Jr. was featured at number four on our list.

The thought here is that Asante has a good shot to make an impact on special teams, whether its filling the role of a ’24 player no longer on the roster or take the spot of someone whose role he can take at a cheaper price.

HELP WANTED ON COVERAGE TEAMS

Ranking Asante with this much confidence to have a shot at making the team really has little to do with his play at linebacker. He did have 14 TFLs and 7.5 sacks over the last two years with the Tigers, but at his size, he physically can not take on guards in this league like an NFL linebacker has to be able to endure.

At 6-0 ½, 223, it’s safe to say his size is why Asante went undrafted. Like fellow Miami linebacker Channing Tindall — the 102nd pick of the 2022 draft — turned out to be, Asante is not known for being overly-instinctive. But what he can do is fly, and he’s super explosive (also similar to Tindall coming out of college).

Miami lost special teams ace Siran Neal to free agency (49ers) so there is a need there already on first-year special teams coach Craig Aukerman’s unit.

Asante posted 749 career plays on special teams between North Carolina (where he started his collegiate career) and Auburn. In his 50-game career, he averaged nearly 15 special teams plays per game (14.98).

COMPETITION WITH TINDALL

Another possibility is that, given their similarities, is that Miami could move on from Tindall and free up $1.4 million in salary cap space in the process, assuming they have other players they are comfortable with in Neal’s old role on special teams.

Tindall’s salary cap help isn’t so great that the team would be forced to make tough decisions over it — they’ll just keep him. That might strain Asante’s chances. But in his three years, Tindall has not been able to establish himself as anything but a special teams player in his own right so there’s no reason the two can’t compete.

The bottom line in the NFL is if you can maintain the standard while getting younger and cheaper, you have to do.

EUGENE THE SPEED MACHINE

Asante had the fourth-highest athleticism score among linebackers at the 2025 NFL Draft Combine. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, second in his position group by just two one-hundreths of a second. His 1.52 10-yard split was fastest among linebackers at the combine and ranked tied for fourth by a player at any position.

The same 223 pounds that might not be enough to take on an offensive guard sure will look pretty big to a return man when it’s coming at him at that kind of speed.

Tindall was also an athletic freak (at the 2022 combine), running a 4.47 and posting a 40-inch vertical and is a good 20 pounds heavier than Asante.

DRAFT NOTES – EUGENE ASANTE

Below are the notes taken while watching tape from last year of Asante. He has a great burst and recovery speed, but seems slow to react at times. Regardless, these were the notes:

– An effective pass rusher, at least in terms of getting quickly into the backfield.

– Plays hard and physical, but can’t play any linebacker position as a pro at this size. 

– Is pretty explosive despite size and uses a punch well.

– His read speed is slow a little but once he knows where he’s going he hits the throttle. Play speed and explosion show up, if not in the form of statistics so much.

– Feel like this was a special teams-only pickup, which is hard to judge from defensive tape (don’t have special teams).

CAN ASANTE MAKE THE 53?

Will keep it brief on this one – it’s going to be boom or bust for Asante. Either he will make the 53-man roster for his special teams or he will get cut but we’re leaning toward the former.

Teams admittedly don’t prefer to keep players on the roster or practice squad who are special teamers only and aside from maybe spot third down pass rushing duties, that is what Asante will likely be in the NFL at his size.

His speed and elite explosion coupled with his extensive special teams experience, however, give him a real shot to be a difference-maker in that arena. A guy who is that good on special teams is what the expectation is in giving him this high of a mark. His physicality and athleticism suggest he can be.

At ACR, we predict Asante will make the 53-man roster as a core special teams player and serve primarily as a coverage specialist.