Dolphins add intriguing tight end talent who spent five years with Kansas City Chiefs

This Dolphins regime has always been intrigued by the notion of developing tight ends out of players who didn’t play that position in college.

Jody Fortson — who agreed to a contract with the Dolphins on Thursday — already has had a big head start.

After catching 37 passes for 477 yards as an under-the-radar receiver out of Valdosta State, the Kansas City Chiefs signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2019, converted him to tight end and kept him on their practice squad for two seasons.

He made the Chiefs’ active roster in August 2021 and made his first NFL appearance that season. He finished the year with five catches for 47 yards, including two touchdowns.

Fortson, 28, appeared in 13 games and had nine receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City in the 2022 season, which ended with Fortson on injured reserve following an elbow injury in Week 15.

He played 54 offensive snaps in 2021 and 184 in 2022. He played 68 and 181 special teams snaps during those two seasons.

Of his 14 career receptions, four have been touchdowns and nine have gone for first downs.

He hasn’t dropped any of his 18 targets, and Pro Football Focus noted he had very good run blocking grades with the Chiefs, in a modest sample size.

Fortson was an exclusive rights free agent last March, and the Chiefs tendered him. But he sustained a dislocated shoulder last August and went on season-ending injured reserve.

Fortson, who’s 6-4 and 226 pounds, had interest from other teams, according to his agents, The Katz Brothers.

He will compete with Julian Hill, Tanner Conner and likely additional players for jobs behind Durham Smythe and Jonnu Smith.

Fortson joins Conner as Dolphins tight ends who played wide receiver in college. In recent years, the Dolphins have signed tight ends who played other positions, including Bryce Sterk, a defensive end at Montana State. That flier didn’t work out.

But Fortson is more advanced in his development after five years playing for the one of the NFL’s best offenses and catching passes from two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes.

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, who played with Fortson in Kansas City, retweeted news of his signing with Miami, adding: “Now this is the news I have been waiting on.”