Tyler Bentley is headed down south to continue his football career.
Bentley — a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive lineman from West Chester, Ohio — has received an invite to the Miami Dolphins rookie minicamp, according to a report on X (formerly known as Twitter) by JJ Kitchen.
Bentley is one of a handful of former Panthers who has received a post-draft invite opportunity, including Jake Kradel (Colts), Shayne Simon (Eagles/Bill) and Malcolm Epps (Colts).
Bentley spoke of his excitement for the opportunity to show an NFL team that it will receive an extremely hard worker.
“I’m a hard worker who is going to work and get the job done and do it the right way,” Bentley said at the Pitt Pro Day. “The way it’s supposed to be.”
In Bentley’s six seasons in Pittsburgh, after not seeing the field as a true freshman in 2018, he made 60 appearances — starting 15 games during that time.
In 12 appearances (four starts) in 2023, recording 362 defensive snaps, Bentley recorded 27 tackles (five solo), two tackles for loss and a half sack. In his Pitt career, he racked up 78 tackles (23 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two pass breakups.
As a spot starter in 2023, Bentley provided a steadying presence on the interior of the defensive line and graded out as one of the surest tacklers on the roster. He’s hoping to show that his high motor translates well to the professional level.
“They’re going to get all they can get, trust me,” Bentley said. “I’m gonna give everything I can 110% no matter what it is or where it is.”
Bentley is the first of the veteran trio (which features David Green and Devin Danielson) to receive an NFL opportunity. Danielson did not compete at the Pitt Pro Day in March, so it’s safe to assume his playing career has come to an end. Green has a solid chance to receive a camp invite in the near future.
