Miami Dolphins Preview: WR Roster

The Miami Dolphins enter camp with 11 WR’s on the roster. Barring any injuries, fans can safely assume that the top of the depth chart will contain the following four wide-outs to start the 2015 NFL season: Davante Parker, Jarvis “Juice” Landry, Kenny Stills, and Greg Jennings. With that being said, let’s focus on the other “camp bodies” at the WR position including Michael Preston, LaRon Byrd, Tyler McDonald, Matt Hazel, Christion Jones, and Nigel King. With the promising Rishard Matthews asking to be traded, at least one, if not two of these players will have a solid chance at making the 52-man roster.

The first three WR’s we will examine are Preston, Bryd, and McDonald. All three WR’s have some NFL experience, but Preston is the only player whose made it to the endzone during a NFL regular season game. Preston’s intrigue as a prospect comes from his height (6-foot-5) and catch radius. He played for two Arena Football teams and caught his two NFL TD’s while being a member of the Tennessee Titans back in 2013. I expect Preston to have a solid chance at claiming the #5 WR spot for the Miami Dolphins due to his size–something the Dolphins currently lack in the WR corps.

LaRon Byrd, who played college ball for the Miami Hurricanes, has played for the Cardinals, Browns, and Cowboys. He was released by the Cowboys in October 2014 to make room on the roster for another wide-out. If I were to bet on who would make the 2015 roster, Byrd would not be my choice.

As for Tyler McDonald, he impressed the Miami Dolphins coaching staff during rookie minicamp with his consistent hands. The 6-foot-3 190-pound WR played for South Carolina State and finished his college career with 159 receptions for 2,389 receiving yards. Much like Michael Preston, McDonald would provide much needed length at the WR position for the Dolphins in 2015.

The last three WR’s fighting for roster spots are Hazel, Jones, and King. While Hazel was a member of the Miami Dolphins team/practice squad last year, Christion Jones and Nigel King are undrafted rookies looking to prove their worth in the NFL. Jones played college ball for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is an undersized wide-out who relies on quickness to get open and is prominently known as a return specialist. Since Jones isn’t a true WR, the only way I see him making the roster is by turning heads on special teams.

As for Nigel King, he’s another tall wide-out standing at 6-foot-3, 210-pounds. King played and graduated (undergrad) from Maryland. After graduation, he decided to transfer to Kansas for his final  year of eligibility and became a 8-game starter for the Jayhawks. King possesses solid size and has a decent football IQ–getting open frequently and finding soft spots in zone coverage. While he does have upside, I don’t believe he’ll have enough to make the Fins roster for 2015.

The Miami Dolphins have a talented group of wide-outs entering the 2015 NFL season. Expect a fierce battle between the undrafted rookies and other “camp bodies” for the last few WR positions. The key for these players will be consistency on the offensive end and contribution on special teams. Therefore, my front runners are Michael Preston and Tyler McDonald, while Matt Hazel and Christion Jones should push the envelope as well. Don’t forget to comment below and follow @phinphanatic / me @joshbinder86 on twitter! Fins up!