British tight end Seydou Traore is poised to make a splash in the NFL after being chosen by the Miami Dolphins with the 180th overall pick. Standing at 6ft 4in and weighing 244lb, Traore, who was born in France and raised in London, made the move to Florida in 2020, where he first played 11 v 11 football. His college career saw him catch 131 passes for 1,482 yards and 10 touchdowns, with an average of 6.5 yards after each catch.
Miami's general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, described Traore as a 'raw, athletic ball of clay' with immense potential for growth. Having played football for a relatively short period, Traore's selection in the fifth round was seen as a valuable pick by the Dolphins. He will join a tight end group that includes Greg Dulcich and Will Kacmarek. Traore's two seasons at Mississippi State yielded 69 passes caught, with a personal best of five touchdowns last season.
He becomes the second tight end to be drafted by the Dolphins this year. In a separate development, the Philadelphia Eagles picked up Nigerian Uar Bernard with the 251st overall pick, despite him not having played a game of NFL before.
Bernard expressed his excitement, stating that it was a 'dream come true' and that he was confident of improving daily through drills and practice.