If there's a roster where a rookie wide receiver seems very likely to make an immediate impact, it's Miami. Not necessarily because their rookies are so remarkable, but because the competition is so very modest.
I thought of this when seeing a story that the Dolphins haven't put a timetable on Chris Bell returning to the field. Bell is the team's third-round pick out of Louisville, who would probably have been drafted earlier after catching 72 passes for 917 yards and 6 TDs last year. But he tore his ACL in late November; so he's not going to be ready for training camp and it remains to be seen if he'll play at all as a rookie. There is zero reason to rush him back.
A better bet this season is Caleb Douglas (pictured), drafted 19 picks earlier. He averaged 57 catches and 862 yards for Texas Tech the last two seasons, with 13 total touchdowns. Big (6-4, 206), good speed (4.39) and not coming off a torn ACL. There was talk during the Draft that he was selected too early and that maybe Miami was thrown by the Giants taking Malachi Fields one pick earlier; I don't know how valid that is.
Regardless, opportunity is there for Douglas to start right away. There's very little ahead of him.
I compared Miami's current wide receiver depth chart with our stat files, to see how accomplished it is or isn't. Remarkably, the Dolphins have only one player at the position who's ever put up a top-50 season in PPR leagues. Former Cowboy Jalen Tolbert did it two years ago. Also coming close is another newcomer, Tutu Atwell, whose best season came with the Rams in 2023. Miami's various holdovers -- Malik Washington, Tahj Washington, Theo Wease -- have not done so. And neither have the rookies, obviously.
Table shows all the seasons finishing in the top 150 at wide receiver from Miami's current depth chart.
| MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS, BEST NFL SEASONS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Rec | Yards | TD | Rk |
| 2024 | Jalen Tolbert, Dall. | 49 | 610 | 7 | 45 |
| 2025 | Malik Washington, Mia. | 46 | 317 | 5 | 54 |
| 2023 | Tutu Atwell, LAR | 39 | 483 | 3 | 62 |
| 2024 | Tutu Atwell, LAR | 42 | 562 | 0 | 79 |
| 2022 | Terrace Marshall, Car. | 28 | 490 | 1 | 88 |
| 2023 | Jalen Tolbert, Dall. | 22 | 268 | 2 | 99 |
| 2022 | Tutu Atwell, LAR | 18 | 298 | 2 | 103 |
| 2024 | Malik Washington, Mia. | 26 | 223 | 1 | 108 |
| 2025 | Jalen Tolbert, Dall. | 18 | 203 | 1 | 118 |
| 2025 | Tutu Atwell, LAR | 6 | 192 | 1 | 134 |
| 2023 | Terrace Marshall, Car. | 19 | 139 | 0 | 137 |
| 2021 | Terrace Marshall, Car. | 17 | 138 | 0 | 139 |
| 2025 | Theo Wease, Mia. | 6 | 139 | 1 | 145 |
This is not meant to pick on anyone. Atwell and Tolbert have been successful NFL players at various points. Malik Washington has some ability; he's the "safest" bet for production. But the team is asking players to be No. 1 and No. 2 wideouts who have generally only ever been 3s and 4s. Contract size is telling: none is making even $2 million per year. Without looking it up I'm confident this is the only team in the league that can be said about.
I'll throw a very late pick at Douglas, perhaps. Somebody has to be Miami's No. 1 wideout; why not him. Broadly speaking though, I think it's going to be a tough year for this passing game. They're not exactly setting Malik Willis up for success.
--Andy Richardson
