The Miami Dolphins shocked quite a few people when they traded star receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos weeks ago.
Though the team drafted three wide receivers during the 2026 NFL draft — Caleb Douglas from Texas Tech (Round 3), Chris Bell from Louisville (Round 3), and Missouri’s Kevin Coleman Jr. (Round 5) — none of them are even close to being on Waddle’s level.
The Dolphins presumably can’t feel great about heading into the season with a WR depth chart that features three rookies, Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell as the top pass-catchers for new $67.5 million quarterback Malik Willis.
And Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports thinks the Dolphins could be a good fit for former Pro Bowl receiver Deebo Samuel.
“The Dolphins entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a massive hole at receiver,” Sullivan wrote. “While they did come away with three wideouts over the course of the weekend, they came in the third (Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell) and fifth (Kevin Coleman Jr.) rounds, so it’s hardly a guarantee they’ll make an immediate impact.
“With that in mind, they need a veteran to enter that room, and Samuel could fit the bill. While he does have a lot of mileage on his body and is entering his age-30 season, Samuel continues to be a solid receiver. His 72 receptions in 2025 were the second-highest of his career.”
Samuel may not be the All-Pro receiver he was back in 2021 when he totaled 1,405 yards receiving and ix touchdowns in addition to 365 yards rushing and eight more touchdowns, but he’s still got plenty left in the tank.
He could suffice as a one-year de facto WR1 to help Willis ease into his first year as a starter and move into a WR2 role in 2027 if the Dolphins draft or trade for another top target.
Read the full article here
