Why the Dolphins Need to Run Away From WR at Number 11

Now that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are gone, the Miami Dolphins should be in the market for at least one top-flight wide receiver beyond what they've done in free agency.

There's no arguing that point.

What they should not — with a capital N — do, however, is force that move and use the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL on that position.

Not on Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State. Not on Makai Lemon from USC. Not on Ohio State's Carnell Tate, even if he's available after widely being projected to be gone by then.

No, no and no.

THE BIGGEST REASONS THE DOLPHINS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM A WR AT 11

This stance isn't meant as a slight to any particular prospect — notice we didn't differentiate between any of the top wide receivers — but rather a statement on the position.

And it comes down to positional value along with prospect variance within a position.

Allow us to explain.

We'll start with positional value and point out that wide receivers simply don't affect the outcome of games the same way other positions do, and those that immediately come to mind include quarterback (obviously) offensive tackle, pass rusher and cornerback.

Take this stat however you'd like, but there have been 13 wide receivers selected among the top 10 picks in the past 10 drafts, including Travis Hunter (unique as a two-way player) and Tetairoa McMillan last year.

The list consists of Corey Davis, Mike Williams and John Ross in 2017; Ja'Marr Chase, Waddle and DeVonta Smith in 2021; Drake London and Garrett Wilson in 2022; Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze in 2024; and the two last year.

Out of those 13, only Chase and Smith have been on a team that won a game in the playoffs. And outside of Davis and Ross, it's not like those weren't good wide receivers.

Yes, the Dolphins are picking at number 11, but you get the point.

The other argument is that wide receiver usually has such an abundance of good prospects that the difference between, say, the first and seventh prospect in any given year is much smaller than the first and seventh-best prospect at most other positions.

Translated, the Dolphins are much more likely to find a comparable wide receiver at number 30 or even in the second round to what they would get at 11 than if the conversation was about cornerbacks or pass rushers or linebackers or tackles.

THE RECENT DOLPHINS EXAMPLE

Lastly, the greatest argument against the Dolphins overspending (or overdrafting) on a wide receiver can be found in the two guys who just left.

Really, the Dolphins couldn't have asked much more from Tyreek Hill and Waddle over the past four seasons (five for Waddle) and look where it got them.

Yes, the Miami offense was able to attain heights in 2022 and 2023 we hadn't seen for quite a while, but it didn't get the Dolphins a playoff victory.

The Dolphins for a time had the most expensive wide receiver room in the NFL after reworking and reworking and reworking again Hill's contract, but again all for naught.

That money clearly could have been spent elsewhere and maybe the results would have been different.

We made the argument that the selection of Waddle at number 6 in 2021 after the Dolphins moved down from 3 to 12 and then back up to 6 was the wrong choice, and it wasn't because Waddle wasn't a good player for Miami.

He just played the wrong position.

The Dolphins can't make the same mistake with the 11th pick in 2026.