Florida-born Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is returning to his home state after a decade away. The former Indiana Hosier and Tennessee Titans wide receiver agreed to a contract with the Miami Dolphins when the new league year began. He brings a sizable red zone threat, a big-play element and some of the best perimeter blocking in the league to an offense already full of play makers.
Big Play Machine
At 15.5 yards per reception and nine touchdown receptions on just 32 catches, it's difficult to find a player the better maximized his opportunities than Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in 2024.
Opening the season behind three veterans and former first round pick Treylon Burks, Westbrook-Ikhine went without a target through the first four games of the season. Yet as he has done his entire career, he kept his head down and stayed with the grind. It would pay off to the tune of 60 targets, becoming an explosive option on offense.
He was targeted eight times on deep throws (20+ air yards) catching four of them and scoring three touchdowns. He also feasted in the intermediate passing game, reeling in 14 of his 25 targets in the 10-19-yard range, adding five more touchdowns. Only one of his nine touchdowns came on passes under 10 yards.
Blocking that opens the playbook
The Titans explosive running game took off when Westbrook-Ikhine received an elevation in playing time.
Runs that broke through the first line often became explosive plays behind the blocking of Westbrook-Ikhine, who was used as more than just a "get in the way" option. The Titans called upon their 210-pound wide receiver to do some of the dirty work.
The way Miami deployed their tight ends to wrap block the edge (go across the formation in motion and get a running start at the edge defender), the Titans did the same with Westbrook-Ikhine – there aren't a lot of wide receivers capable of that. He would also condense into tight formations and lead block linebackers and safeties at the point of attack.
His ability to be a force in the running game, with his size and red zone presence, gives the Dolphins a lot of personnel flexibility down in the most critical area of the field.
Pro's Pro
"He very rarely has a mental error," Titans Head Coach Brian Callahan said of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. "He's willing and physical in the running game. He blocks his tail off in the run game. He does a lot of the dirty work, too, because he's so sound and knows where to go all the time. When the balls in the air, he makes plays. Everything about how he goes about his business, his approach, his professionalism, it's what you want. You want as many of those types of guys you can find. He's the example of what that's supposed to look like."
An important element to excelling in Head Coach Mike McDaniel's Dolphins system is the knowledge to play every position. This helps maintain unpredictability for the offense and how they can attack the defense. Westbrook-Ikhine has played 60 percent of his professional snaps on the perimeter and 40 percent in the slot and made plays from every alignment in the offense.
Ed Block Courage Award Winner
The Ed Block Courage Award is presented to a player from each team in the NFL who is voted by their teammates as a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage. Westbrook-Ikhine was the Titans' selection in 2021.
After fracturing his fibula and dislocating his ankle in a 2020 playoff game, Westbrook-Ikhine was on the field in Week 1 of the 2021 season after a strenuous offseason rehab process.
Dog Mentality
Yes, this applies to his game on the field, but this is in reference to Westbrook-Ikhine’s love for man’s best friend. In college, he created an account on Rover, a dog-sitting app where he could dog-sit on the Indiana campus during his downtime.
As a pro, Westbrook-Ikhine worked with the Nashville Humane Society to help raise awareness around their annual U.S. Mars Pet Adoption Weekend. He has Boxer/Australian Sheppard mix named Winston who will make the move to South Florida with the Westbrook-Ikhine's.
"To adopt a dog is great," Westbrook-Ikhine said. "They end up being a part of your family, and that's very true about Winston. And there are some good dogs in shelters that need homes, too."
For more information on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and the entire Dolphins 2025 free agency class, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
