It was always a long shot that the Miami Dolphins, with their more pressing needs, would take a wide receiver in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
But now that May has arrived (and soon with it, OTAs), head coach Mike McDaniel will get a better feel for his WR depth chart, and whether it needs improvement.
Projected Miami Dolphins WR Depth Chart
Locks
Hill and Waddle together made up the NFL‘s most prolific receiving duo in 2023, with 2,813 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns between them.
Expect another sky-high usage rate for both in 2024 after they were targeted a combined
275 times last season.
Probably Safe
- Braxton Berrios
- River Cracraft
- Malik Washington
Berrios would have been a lock (and probably still is) had the Dolphins not used a sixth-round pick on Malik Washington on Saturday.
If the Dolphins believe they can get Berrios’ production on offense from Washington and his return production from, say, rookie running back Jaylen Wright, perhaps they try to trade him. Cutting Berrios, who is scheduled to make just $2.1 million this season, seems highly unlikely.
Cracraft is probably the Dolphins’ best blocker and is high on McDaniel’s list of favorite players.
Regarding Washington, McDaniel said this after the selection:
“There are some professional football players in that room that he’s going to have to compete against to get opportunities. We identified him as a person and an athlete that would be up for the challenge and that’s a tall task. So you know that when you’re looking at these guys and that’s one of the reasons we felt he was a fit to be here.”
Roster Bubble/Practice Squad
- Erik Ezukanma
- Tahj Washington
Ezukanma has just five catches for 22 yards in two NFL seasons, but he has something that few Dolphins receivers possess: Size.
He’s the tallest member of that position group.
The Tahj Washington pick seems like a hedge against Malik developing. It’s hard to see how the Dolphins keep all three slots (the two Washingtons and Berrios) on the active roster, so practice squad seems likely.
Long Shots
- Je’Quan Burton
- Braylon Sanders
- Anthony Schwartz
- Mathew Sexton
Schwartz and Sanders benefit from knowing the system, but it’s hard to see how any of these guys can make the 53. Perhaps one or two stick on the practice squad.
The Wild Cards
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Tyler Boyd
- Michael Gallup
- Mecole Hardman
- Hunter Renfrow
- Michael Thomas
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
This is the great unknown. If the Dolphins and Beckham can finally agree to terms, then the competition for WR4, WR5, and perhaps WR6 gets really serious.
“We always look at opportunities and work through it,” Dolphins GM Chris Grier said. “We’re always looking to add to the roster and have the most competitive roster we can to make the team better, as we’ve always talked, competition is what breeds excellence. For us, we’ll keep looking like we’ve said post-draft like we’ve done here in the past. We’ll keep looking and talking to people and see what happens.”