The Outlook at Wide Receiver

The Outlook at Wide Receiver

The Miami Dolphins find themselves without a true number one receiver for the first time in half a decade.

In fact, the past few seasons saw them feature Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, both of whom were considered talented enough to be the main guy. 

However, Hill was released earlier this offseason after sustaining an injury during the regular season. Then, just last week, Waddle was shipped off to Denver alongside a 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for a first-, third-, and fourth-round pick in 2026. So now we’re left in a situation where the cupboards are looking mighty bare.

Let’s break down who the new starter, Malik Willis, will have to throw to in 2026. 

The first player I want to bring up is someone who isn’t actually on the team as of yet. With the Dolphins having two first-round picks this year, there is a solid chance that they will go after a wideout. Fellow DolphinsTalk writer Jackson Buhler published an article on who they could target. 

So let’s look at who is actually on the roster at the time of writing. Malik Washington was the third wide receiver for the team at the beginning of 2025 and built off of a solid rookie season in 2024, where he put up a stat line of 26 receptions for 223 yards alongside 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The 2025 season saw him become more involved in the passing game in the absence of Hill, with 46 receptions for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns, 110 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and a punt return touchdown. This could be the year that Washington truly breaks out and proves that he is a long-term answer at the position.

His college production proves he can be a workhorse, as he led the nation with 110 receptions in 2023. 

The big move the Dolphins made in free agency was to sign former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell. Atwell has shown flashes of greatness in his career, undoubtedly you’ve seen his 88 yard touchdown from last season after he was signed, if not check it out here. It’s an exciting play, one that shows off his 4.39 speed, and has fans hoping he can frequently recreate it in 2026.

Unfortunately, his season was marred by injury, which kept him on the sideline for the majority of 2025. Prior to that, he was a solid third option for the Rams, posting 39 receptions for 483 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2023 and 42 receptions for 562 yards in 2024. The one-year contract he signed with Miami is his chance to prove that he can be a top-tier guy in the league. 

So whether it is a rookie, Washington, or Atwell, the Dolphins’ new look receiving core has a lot of upside. Will they reach the levels of Hill and Waddle? That’s unlikely, but it will be interesting to see what they do with the opportunity before them.

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