The other day, reports came out that the Miami Dolphins are interested in wide receiver Xavier Worthy with their first-round pick at 21. The Dolphins may be interested in Worthy, which could be true, but I don’t think so it is probably just a smokescreen. The Dolphins already have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at wide receiver. The Dolphins also have other needs at positions where players will be available at pick 21, such as an offensive or defensive lineman. The other thing is that this receiver class is supposedly deep this year, but I feel like that has been the case for the last decade since the college game has gone to more spread offenses.
The Dolphins also lack a 3rd and 4th round pick in this draft, and there are teams behind them in the back of the first round that need a receiver and are probably trying to get the word to get someone to trade with them to move back and get some more picks. The teams behind them, like the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, and the Buffalo Bills, all need receivers. The Bills and Dolphins won’t trade with each other, and that’s pretty much a lock, but I’ve seen stranger things happen. The Chiefs’ receiving core was one of their major weaknesses last year, and they still won the Super Bowl, but with the uncertainty of what will happen with Rashee Rice with his off-the-field incident, they might be willing to move up to the Dolphin’s spot. The 49ers have an issue as their 5th-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk is on his 5th-year option, and with the 49er’s cap situation, they might not be able to pay him, so they may look for a potential replacement. On top of that, they have extra picks in the 3rd and 4th rounds, so maybe there’s an option.
If the Dolphins did take a receiver, like Worthy, at pick 21, it wouldn’t be the worst idea because Hill is 30 years old and going into the 3rd year of his 5-year deal, and who knows how many more productive years he has in him. Waddle’s contract is also coming up, and he will want to get paid. The Dolphins must potentially look for a receiver to take over down the road potentially.
I don’t think the Dolphins will take a receiver at 21 because they have too many needs, and receivers aren’t a top priority. The Dolphins need to add depth on the offensive and defensive lines because they have a lot of guys on 1-year deals or getting older. They also have other needs on defense, such as a pass rusher for depth, and with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb coming off season-ending injuries, they need more depth so those guys can ease back. They also have a need at safety as Jevon Holland’s contract is coming up, and Jordan Poyer is not only on a 1-year deal, but he’s also 33 years old, so you must look at the future at that position.
Over the years of following the NFL draft, I’ve seen a lot of surprises. It wouldn’t shock me if the Dolphins took a receiver, especially if the receiver is the highest-rated player on their board, but I think the Dolphins are trying to get someone to make a deal with them. Well, we will soon find out with the draft a day away.
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