EXCLUSIVE TYREEK HILL DROVE DANGEROUSLY, WAS UNCOOPERATIVE DURING STOP ... Police Union Says

Tyreek Hill Drove Dangerously, Was Uncooperative During Stop, Police Union Says

Tyreek Hill was first pulled over Sunday morning because he was driving recklessly ... and he was thrown in handcuffs moments later because he was being uncooperative -- at least, that's according to a huge police union in Florida.

The president for the South Florida Police Benevolent Association -- which represents over 6,000 law enforcement officers in the Sunshine State -- said in a statement to TMZ Sports Hill put "himself and others in great risk of danger" while on his way to Hard Rock Stadium.

And, during an ensuing traffic stop ... the SFLPBA alleges Hill was not responding to cops' orders.

"Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on scene who, pursuant to policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs," the SFLPBA said. "Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground."

"Once the situation was sorted out within a few minutes," the org. added, "Mr. Hill was issued two traffic citations and was free to leave."

The organization continued ... saying it stands "with the actions of our officers" ... "but looks forward to further open communication moving forward."

For his part, Hill has not yet commented on the specifics of what happened ... telling a reporter following the Dolphins' season opener that he was simply "going to let bygones be bygones" from here.

Hill played well in the game despite all of the drama ... logging seven catches for 130 yards -- and he even poked fun at his run-in with cops with a hands-behind-the-back touchdown celebration.

SLEEPER PICKS TO SUPERSTARS: DAY 3'S TOP SUCCESS STORIES

Brock Purdy, the "Mr. Irrelevant" of the 2022 NFL Draft, has become the latest in a long line of stars picked on Day Three. Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports

 Every year, the NFL draft provides teams with blue-chip prospects that immediately make their mark in the league.

But the draft doesn't end Thursday night. Undervalued talent abounds in the later rounds, with smart teams picking up key players to little fanfare.

Here's a look at some of the best players selected on Day 3 -- Rounds 4 through 7 -- of the draft since the seven-round format was adopted in 1994.

Brock Purdy

Draft year: 2022

Pick No. 262

Few active NFL players have a story quite like Purdy, who was selected with the final pick of the 2022 draft. "Mr. Irrelevant" -- as the draft's last pick is dubbed each year -- quickly proved to be quite relevant for the San Francisco 49ers. Injuries caused the Iowa State Cyclones product to rise to a starting role, where he helped lead the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.

Purdy took over as full-time starter in his second season and rewarded the 49ers faith in him with a 12-4 regular-season record and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

Draft year: 2021

Pick No. 112

St. Brown has never shied away from his status as a player who slipped down draft boards, with the former USC Trojan once reciting all 16 wide receivers drafted ahead of him from memory.

Now part of the Detroit Lions, St. Brown's career has continually improved over the past three years. After emerging as a starter during his rookie season, St. Brown has caught 100-plus passes each of the past two seasons, earning an All-Pro nod this past fall.

George Kittle

Draft year: 2017

Pick No. 146

A product of the Iowa Hawkeyes' tight-end factory, Kittle's statistical résumé in college didn't turn heads -- 48 catches and 10 touchdowns, mostly across his final two seasons. But the eventual fifth-round pick did make a name for his stellar blocking.

The San Francisco 49ers got far more than quality blocking out of Kittle, as he developed into one of the best tight-ends in the league. He has made five Pro Bowls and caught 460 passes and 37 touchdowns across seven seasons in the league.

A fifth-round selection in 2017, George Kittle has emerged as one of the NFL's top tight ends in San Francisco. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Tyreek Hill

Draft year: 2016

Pick No. 165

Now one of the most electrifying receivers in the NFL, Hill played for three different colleges before eventually landing in the 2016 NFL draft. A fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill's blazing speed helped him quickly carve out a role on one of the league's top teams.

Currently with the Miami Dolphins, Hill has made the Pro Bowl every year he's been in the NFL (though his selection in 2016 was as a return specialist, not a wide receiver) and was a key part in Kansas City's 2019 Super Bowl victory.

Stefon Diggs

Draft year: 2015

Pick No. 146

Diggs was a three-year standout with the Maryland Terrapins, catching 14 touchdowns during his career in College Park. The Minnesota Vikings picked him up in the fifth round, and it took Diggs less than a season to work his way into the team's receiving rotation. He'd ascend to an every-game starter and then star, eventually moving to the Buffalo Bills, where he'd string together four consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns. Diggs is now on the move once more, joining C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans this offseason with over 800 career receptions under his belt.

Richard Sherman

Draft year: 2011

Pick No. 154

One of the most feared defenses in NFL history was built in large part with Day Three selections. The "Legion of Boom" Seattle Seahawks were a nightmare for opposing offenses, helping the Seahawks lift the Lombardi Trophy in 2013. Among the most important members of the Legion was cornerback, who was the 24th cornerback taken in the 2011 draft out of Stanford.

Richard Sherman

Draft year: 2011

Pick No. 191

The recently retired Kelce leaves behind a long track record of stellar play with the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Cincinnati Bearcat rewarded the team that took him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. He had 193 career starts across a 13-year career that included six All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl in 2018.

Jason Kelce's long career with the Philadelphia Eagles started with the organization selecting him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Jahri Evans

Draft year: 2006

Pick No. 108

Evans entered the 2006 NFL draft with a low profile, having plied his trade at the collegiate level for Division II Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. However, he wasted no time establishing himself as a mainstay for the New Orleans Saints once joining the team, starting all 16 games as a rookie.

Evans would go on to start 169 games in New Orleans, including a stretch of six consecutive Pro Bowl seasons from 2009 to 2014. He also helped the Saints capture Super Bowl XLIV.

Jared Allen

Draft year: 2004

Pick No. 126

An Idaho State Bengals alum, Allen entered the draft on the back of a mammoth senior campaign that included 17.5 sacks and over 100 tackles.

Allen fell to the Chiefs in the fourth round and quickly carved out a role, including a prolific 2007 campaign that saw him record a league-high 15.5 sacks. Allen would join the Vikings that offseason, and followed the move up with six consecutive seasons with at least 10 sacks.

Tom Brady

Draft year: 2000

Pick No. 199

The greatest late round pick of them all, it's difficult to find an achievement Brady didn't compile over the course of a remarkable 23-year career. He had 15 Pro Bowls, three league MVPs, five Super Bowl MVPs and of course seven total rings, the most of any individual player in league history.

Brady is the league's all-time leader in passing yards, total completions and passing touchdowns, amassing the vast majority of his stats across two decades with the team that drafted him, the New England Patriots.

Zach Thomas

Draft year: 1996

Pick No. 154

Thomas made his name with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and an average combine outing caused him to fall down draft boards. But Thomas' consistent college production proved more than translatable to professional ranks, as he was named defensive rookie of the year.

Thomas would go on to start 168 games for the Dolphins, earning seven Pro Bowl nods in the process. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Terrell Davis

Draft year: 1995

Pick No. 196

The 1998 NFL MVP wasn't selected until the sixth round of his draft. Davis made his mark quickly with the Denver Broncos, rushing for 1,117 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie.

He'd continually improve until he would reach the peak of his powers with his stellar 1998 campaign -- he'd become one of just eight players to rush for over 2,000 yards in a regular season, leading the Broncos to a second-straight Super Bowl victory.

Davis was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.

- J.J. Post, ESPN

DOLPHINS TOP COWBOYS, SECURE PLAYOFF SPOT ON-LAST SECOND FIELD GOAL

AP

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Jason Sanders kicked his fifth field goal of the game, a 29-yarder as time expired, and the Miami Dolphins secured a playoff berth with a 22-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa threw for 293 yards and a touchdown for the AFC East-leading Dolphins (11-4), who beat a team with a winning record for the first time this season. He connected with Tyreek Hill twice on the decisive drive, which covered 64 yards and took the final 3:27 off the clock.

Hill, who leads the NFL in receiving yards, had nine catches for 99 yards after missing last week's victory over the New York Jets with an ankle injury.

Dak Prescott went 20-of-32 for 253 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (10-5), who have already clinched a playoff spot but fell a half-game behind Philadelphia in the NFC East.

Prescott put Dallas in front 20-19 with an 8-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Brandin Cooks in the corner of the end zone. But the Cowboys were haunted by their red zone struggles earlier in the game, including a fumble by Prescott on first-and-goal from inside the 1 on Dallas' first possession.

Sanders' first field goal was a career-long 57-yarder in the first quarter. He added kicks of 52, 54 and 35 yards to help the Dolphins take a 19-10 lead late in the third.

HILL'S SPECIAL TD CATCH AND HOLLAND'S 99-YARD INT RETURN LEAD DOLPHINS PAST JETS 34-13

AP Photo 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tyreek Hill got into the end zone, found his new wife in the stands and tossed her the ball for a special celebration.

The game got even better for the newlywed Hill and the Miami Dolphins from there.

Jevon Holland returned an intercepted first-half Hail Mary attempt 99 yards for a score, Raheem Mostert ran for two touchdowns, and the Dolphins cruised past the New York Jets 34-13 in the NFL's first game played on Black Friday.

“It was a momentum swing going into the half,” Holland said. "They threw a ball, they threw a Hail Mary, kind of desperation. They knew we were getting the ball after the half.

“Then, boom, you just let up a touchdown.”

Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted twice, including one returned for a score by Brandin Echols, but Miami was in control for most of the game. The Dolphins (8-3) cushioned their lead atop the AFC East by sending the Jets (4-7) to their fourth straight loss.

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 30 for 243 yards with the TD to Hill and the two INTs.

Tim Boyle started at quarterback for the Jets in place of the benched Zach Wilson, but New York's stagnant offense failed to get much going other than Boyle's 1-yard TD pass to Garrett Wilson with 4:37 remaining.

POST-GAME WORKOUT | TYREEK HILL WORKOUTS | NFL 2021

TYREEK HILL: FASTEST PLAYER IN THE NFLᴴᴰ