Jaylen Waddle will be missed.
Not just because he set the rookie record for catches. Not just because he was on pace to break several Miami Dolphins receiving records. And not just because of his deep threat ability.
The Dolphins, who traded the former Alabama standout Tuesday to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a first-round pick, third-round pick and fourth-round pick swap, will miss Waddle because he’s a rare brand of receiver in today’s times that doesn’t fall into the category of diva. And as Miami searches for his replacement in the upcoming NFL Draft, they must keep in mind that receivers of Waddle’s ilk don’t grow on trees.
To truly understand Waddle’s rare personality, you have to rewind back to the week ahead of the Dolphins matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Dolphins were to be without star wide receiver Tyreek Hill who had suffered a gruesome knee injury the previous game against the New York Jets. That meant Waddle was set to be the true wide receiever 1 for the first time since his rookie year in 2021.
Immediately, Waddle’s ability came into question.
“What do you think makes a good Wide Receiver 1 in the NFL?”
“Is it difficult to replace that type of personality and energy?”
“Are you ready to be a WR1?”
Any other receiver could’ve reacted poorly – especially to the last question. Waddle, instead, took the inquiries in stride.
“We never look at it like Receiver 1, or 1A-1B,” Waddle said at the time. “I think that’s more like a media thing or something that gives something for the media to talk about. We all go out there, make plays and just try to help our team win. It’s not a Receiver 1, Receiver 2, type of thing. It’s being able to go out there contribute and help your team get a ‘W.’”
And just how did Waddle respond?
Six catches. 110-yards. And a touchdown.
His performance was just what his then-coaches expected of him.
“We’ve looked at him as a wide receiver one,” then-offensive coordinator Frank Smith said. “I think that it’s not necessarily a change from the way we approach it and the way we see it and I think he’s done a fantastic job being an elite receiver, playing with another elite receiver. I don’t see as far as his game, he’s very, very much ready for this moment as he has seen himself as a one, and we’ve approached it the same way. So there shouldn’t be really an adjustment for Jaylen Waddle, because he himself stands alone.”
As it stands now, the Dolphins receiver room is full of unproven names. There’s Malik Washington, a player entering into his third year that has only accumulated 72 catches, 540 yards and trio of touchdowns across his first two seasons. Then there’s Jalen Tolbert who spent his first four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys yet has more seasons under 300 yards (three) than he does over (one).
Other options with at least two seasons of NFL experience include Miami native and former Los Angeles Ram Tutu Atwell and Terrance Marshall Jr. A second-round pick out of Louisville, Atwell brings speed to the Dolphins offense that will certainly need it due to the departures of Waddle and Hill.
Similar to Tolbert, Marshall has struggled early in his career, only amassing 67 catches and 808 yards during his four seasons. The final two receivers – Theo Wease Jr. and AJ Henning – were undrafted rookies in 2025 with only the former actually getting some meaningful NFL snaps.
If it’s not abundantly clear by now, the Dolphins need serious help at receiver. But what they find in the draft must not only be talent but someone who, similar to Waddle, happens to be a personality fit. Non-diva receivers don’t grow on trees. And, even more true, not every person can be a professional athlete in Miami.
Waddle’s trade puts extra onus on Jon-Eric Sullivan’s ability to find quality pieces in the draft. The team already invested heavily into quarterback Malik Willis yet how could one get an accurate read on his abilities with the receiver room as is? Sullivan, however, made it very clear that he intends to build through the draft and his opportunity to do so will come sooner rather than later.
Miami Herald
C. Isaiah Smalls II is a sports and culture writer who covers the Miami Dolphins. In his previous capacity at the Miami Herald, he was the race and culture reporter who created The 44 Percent, a newsletter dedicated to the Black men who voted to incorporate the city of Miami. A graduate of both Morehouse College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Smalls previously worked for ESPN’s Andscape.