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The Dolphins took tight end Mike Gesicki in the second round with the hope that he’d be a threat as a receiver while working to improve his blocking skills.

Gesicki didn’t make too big of an impression on either front. He caught 22 passes for 202 yards and showed that there was a lot of room to improve as a blocker.

On Thursday, Gesicki acknowledged that he fell short of expectations as a rookie and revealed that he’s put on 13 pounds in order to provide a more physical presence. He said that hasn’t taken away from his overall athletic ability and leaves him in better position to succeed this time around.

“I feel like I’m in much better shape than I was this time last year,” Gesicki said, via the Miami Herald. “And I think that’s when I’ll be at my best, when I can play fast. I think last year, especially when I got here, the heat took me by surprise. I wasn’t in great field-conditioning shape. My thing is I need to be able to run fast, run by people, make plays in the passing game. It took awhile to get into that shape to get there.”

Tight ends often have a hard time as rookies before taking a step forward in their second seasons. The Dolphins and Gesicki will head into the 2019 season hoping that’s how things will play out.