Who is Channing Tindall? What Dolphins fans need to know about the 2022 draft pick
South Carolina native and Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Friday.
“He shows up on tape, explosive plays time and time again,” ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said after Tindall’s selection.
Miami general manager Chris Grier told reporters Friday night that he met with Tindall and then brought him for a vist before the draft. He said Tindall was someone that they had trgeted throughout the draft process.
“His versatility and the speed is what we like. He can play all three downs,” Grier said. “He can play special teams as well. ... We are really excited to get him and were holding on hoping he would be there.”
Here are five things to know about Tindall:
His high school has produced future NFL players
Tindall attended Spring Valley High school in Columbia, S.C., and the school has produced the most NFL players out of any high school in the city. He is the 10th former Spring Valley player to be taken in the NFL Draft joining Michael and Peter Boulware, Andre Roberts, Jim Richter, Travis Williams, Christian Miller, Willie Williams, Lethon Flowers and Tyrone Legette.
Peter Boulware was 1997 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and four-time Pro Bowl selection. He also won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. Roberts is a three-time Pro Bowl selection on special teams and played last year for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Never started a game in college
Tindalll was a four-year player for Georgia but never made a start in the 50 games he appeared in for the Bulldogs. He had a career-high 67 tackles, third most on the team, and 5 1/2 sacks this season.
Big performance in national championship game
Tindall had one of his best games of his career in the Bulldogs’ 33-18 win over Alabama in the national championship game in January.
He tied his career high with eight sacks and had a sack in the game. The 13-yard sack of Alabama’s Bryce Young came when the Crimson Tide was on the Georgia 6-yard line.
Mel Kiper’s favorite
While Tindall might have gotten lost in Georgia’s stacked defensive roster that produced five first-round selections in this year’s draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper had high praise for Tindall leading up to the draft and called him his favorite outside linebacker prospect.
“With Georgia, we’ve talked about them all, but we haven’t talked about some of them enough,” Kiper said on a teleconference with reporters. “We talk about a lot of them a lot, and we know who they are. But some of them are going under the radar, and I’ll give you one off the bat: Channing Tindall.
“Channing Tindall can fly to the football. He can play inside or outside, he gives you a pass rusher inside or outside, someone who can be a great special-teamer. He does not get enough publicity.”
Tindall among fastest at his position
The 6-foot-2, 230- pound Tindall ran the third fastest 40-yard dash among all linebackers at this year’s NFL Combine. He was clocked at a 4.47 40-yard dash. Only Montana State’s Troy Anderson (4.42) and Alabama’s Christian Harris (4.44) were faster.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 11:24 PM.
