The first two years of the Tyreek Hill-Jaylen Waddle tandem have been a pursuit of the NFL record books. In 2022, the electrifying duo produced 3,066 receiving yards, just 108 yards shy of the record set by two teammates (Herman Moore and Brett Perriman, 3,174 for the 1995 Detroit Lions), in a single season.
Despite a small dip in volume with 2,813 yards in 2023, the fleet-footed wideouts nearly eclipsed 3,000 yards again despite missing four games collectively. Prorated for the full season, Waddle and Hill would've re-written the record books coming in at 184.8 combined yards per game in 2023. The third act in 2024 promises to be just as exciting, with an even deeper stable of options at the disposal of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
The Cast (In order of NFL experience):
- 3 Odell Beckham Jr.
- 10 Tyreek Hill
- 0 Braxton Berrios
- 85 River Cracraft
- 17 Jaylen Waddle
- 84 Anthony Schwartz
- 18 Erik Ezukanma
- 86 Braylon Sanders
- 83 Malik Washington
- 82 Tahj Washington
- 42 Je'Quan Burton
Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker has a fully stocked cupboard of weapons and diverse skill sets heading into his third season with the Dolphins. Under his watch, two of the game's best have achieved some of the greatest heights the league has ever seen.
The efficiency of Hill and Waddle is eye-opening. Hill is tops in the NFL in yards per route ran over the last two seasons while Waddle ranks fifth. Their penchant for covering plenty of ground and running deep routes at full throttle presents opportunities for the rest of the room. The pair played 69.4 (Hill) and 64.7 (Waddle) percent of the offensive snaps the last two seasons as Miami uses a rotation to keep these speed threats fresh.
While pacing the league in passing, the Dolphins desired more this offseason. Enter one of the game's top play makers for the last decade in Odell Beckham Jr.
"Coach (McDaniel) and I were talking about it," Beckham said at his Dolphins introductory press conference. "He was saying that on third downs, they were getting a lot of doubling (on Hill and Waddle). There's just a lot of room for opportunity looking at it."
Beckham's ability to beat single coverage and run vertical routes from various pre-snap alignments gives the Dolphins offense a whole new dynamic for which opposing defenses must contend. As if that weren't enough, rookie Malik Washington was drafted in the sixth round. He was college football's receptions leader (111) last season.
Miami's sixth-round pick also forced more missed tackles than any of his draft classmates (35), produced the fourth-most yards after catch (710) and had the fifth-lowest drop rate in the NCAA last season (2.7 percent).
One round later, the Dolphins added USC's Tahj Washington. The perfect complement to Malik, Tahj finished fifth in receiving yards on deep balls in 2023 (596) behind four first-round picks (Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr.)
Incumbents Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft offer experience, comprehensive knowledge of the offense, special teams ability, and 45 combined receptions with four touchdowns as members of the Dolphins the last two seasons.
Third-year players Erik Ezukanma and Braylon Sanders return from injuries in 2023 after promising starts to their careers.
Anthony Schwartz threw his hat in the ring for the Miami track team with a 4.27 40-yard dash at the 2021 Scouting Combine. Rounding out the room, from 40 miles north at Florida Atlantic University is Je'Quan Burton, who had a 1,283-yard, nine touchdown career for the Owls.
It should be one of the most heated competitions at Dolphins camp as coaches have the difficult task of stacking the depth chart of this talented crop of wide receivers. One thing is for certain, Miami has a plethora of weapons to choose from with the ability to create different styles of attack.
You can catch it all at Dolphins training camp, which kicks off on July 28. Reserve your tickets today!
