The Dolphins have officially signed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Per the terms of his slot, the No. 6 overall pick will earn $27.1MM on his four-year deal.
Waddle will team with former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa, giving the young quarterback one of the most dangerous weapons in the ’21 class. Early on in his career, Waddle was largely overshadowed by the likes of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III – two eventual first-round picks.
After they left Tuscaloosa, Waddle asserted himself as one of Bama’s two best WR talents in 2020. In his first six games, Waddle went off for 28 catches and 591 yards — good for 21.2 yards per catch on average — plus four touchdowns. He also kept up his strong work in the return game, giving evaluators even more opportunities to gawk at his speed on film. Even though he missed much of the year due to injury, Waddle stood as one of this year’s most highly-coveted prospects.
Waddle figures to be one of this year’s most exciting rookies to watch, especially with defenses also having to account for Will Fuller and DeVante Parker.
So many teams are going to get burned by drafting what they think is “the next Tyreek Hill” just because a players best tool is speed. Raiders did it last year with Ruggs. Dolphins may have done it and traded an extra 1st to do it for Waddle. NFL caliber defenders don’t let guys like Waddle run all over them like college ones do.
Dolphins gained an extra 1st by moving down and getting Waddle.
@amk1920
When Waddle is lighting up defenses this season I hope you come back and admit to your foolish mistake in doubting the kid. Also as has already been mentioned the Dolphins still gained another future 1st round pick for moving down 3 spots.
Yawn. We hear this every season. Not saying he won’t be good. But he is a project more than a sure thing. And their trade to move up with the Eagles has nothing to do with the 9er deal. They gave up a 1st round pick to get Waddle instead of a 3rd for Devanta Smith. Very questionable for the difference in value.
@amk1920
You calling him a project is just your opinion and not based on anything factual. He should be on the field game one making plays for a team that was in desperate need of playmakers. You believing the two trades had nothing to do with each other does not line up with the facts. Grier made the trade with the 49ers while the trade with the Eagles was already set up. The result is the Dolphins ended up moving down 3 spots in the 1st for a future 1st and 3rd while moving a 4th for a 5th that they ended up trading away for a 4th next year.
Just because the trades were completed simultaneously doesn’t mean what they gave up doesn’t count lol. This is a strange take multiple people have said here now. They gave up an extra first to the Eagles just to get Waddle over Smith. Imagine getting fleeced by Howie Roseman.
@amk1920
Funny how many Eagles fans were upset when they moved down 6 spots in return for a future 1st and move up 26 spots from the 5th to 4th. Yet you are saying the Dolphins were “fleeced”. The Dolphins gained two future firsts and a 3rd for moving down 9 spots in the 1st. End result is they gained a future 1st for moving down 3 spots in the first round and got one of the players they targeted. Not sure why there is so much whining about this. Do some research and you will figure out that both trades where made as a combo deal by Chris Grier. The Dolphins obviously had Waddle rated higher on their board than Smith.
Love the mental gymnastics to justify this. There is no research to do. This is what was given up and it’s a fact: The Dolphins got three 1sts for #3. Then traded two 1sts to move up to #6. The Dolphins have two 1st round picks invested in a non-QB. Again, these are facts no matter how you want to spin it. Chris Grier has been an awful drafter and his 2021 day 1 moves after the SF trade didn’t give much encouragement. Eagles fans loved the move once the draft played out. And everyone had Waddle above Smith. But the difference is minuscule and definitely not worth giving up an extra 1st.
I actually don’t like smiths size and wouldn’t draft him high in rd picks be but a team did . I think his size will get him injuried as well as he won’t be blowing by nfl dbs . I thinking waddle is the better pick in my opinion but time will tell
@amk1920
The only FACTS I care about are the Dolphins gained an extra 1st round pick in return for moving down 3 spots in the 1st round while still getting one of the players at the top of their board. Most likely you were going to complain no matter what the team did. As most of the comments I have seen from you on this site have been negative towards the team that you are supposedly a fan of. As far as Grier and the 2021 draft go most of the “experts” and media outlets I have seen have said the Dolphins had one of the best drafts this year. Of course you can’t really properly judge a draft until 2 or more years down the road. Either way I am bookmarking this page and will be coming back to these comments at the end of the season.