The Dolphins have plenty of incentive to keep phasing a familiar face into a bigger role as the rest of the 2025 season unfolds

Miami brought Cedrick Wilson Jr. back to the 53-man roster after Hill's season-ending knee injury and he's been playing approximately 30% of the Dolphins' offensive snaps in the four games he's played this season. Wilson Jr. isn't a big-time separator, nor does he have prolific speed at the position. In isolation, he's a fairly vanilla option. But he knows the offense; Wilson Jr. played with Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa, and company in both 2022 and 2023. That muscle memory in this offense sets the stage for him to be a role player in personnel packages that require multiple wide receivers on early downs.

Wilson Jr. is a plus run blocker. That's where this thing is headed. Miami's been pounding the rock and leaning into heavier Jumbo personnel groupings — putting Wilson Jr. on the field as a blocker gives Miami an alternative option to field versus 2025 free agent signing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has been a bit of a disappointment thus far this season. Westbrook-Ikhine has seen his snap share reduced in four consecutive weeks, ultimately coinciding with the elevated profile for Cedrick Wilson Jr.

Cedrick Wilson Jr.'s snap counts for Dolphins in recent Weeks

• Week 8: 22 snaps (31.9%) on offense
• Week 9: 14 snaps (21.9%) on offense
• Week 10: 15 snaps (28.3%) on offense
• Week 11: 17 snaps (30.4%) on offense

This move isn't one you make to facilitate targets to him in the passing game. It's a move you make to get better perimeter run blocking and physicality as the Dolphins lean further into the run game. But it's also got a hidden value, too. Westbrook-Ikhine is one of the new Dolphins in 2025 who is currently qualifying as a compensatory free agent gained in the league's calculations for awarding draft picks in the NFL Draft via net losses via free agency. Playing time fuels a portion of that calculation — snap percentage to be exact.

Wilson Jr., who signed in Miami off the Saints' practice squad mid-season, is a playing time option who does not threaten to water down a potential lingering draft pick to be gained for losing Jevon Holland in free agency. Westbrook-Ikhine is.

Given that Wilson Jr. is a better blocker, is more familiar with the system, and does not threaten Miami's potential 2026 draft capital via the compensatory pick formula, he may be exactly what the Dolphins ordered the rest of the way. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has yet to establish rapport with Tua Tagovailoa and the less he plays, the less chance Miami loses out on an extra fourth-round pick. So what, exactly, is there to talk about? Let's keep pushing post-bye with Cedrick Wilson Jr. as the third receiver behind Jaylen Waddle and Malik Washington.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.