The Miami Dolphins are undergoing a down-to-the-studs rebuild, and the new head man at the controls is Jon-Eric Sullivan. For all the change that Dolphins fans have seen over the past two decades, there was a very serious problem with each one of these teardowns. They were half-measures.
While it's certainly uncomfortable to embrace change, with each new head coach the Dolphins brought in, high-level executives stayed on board. The Dolphins' previous GM, Chris Grier, and their co-directors of player personnel, Adam Engroff and Anthony Hunt, had been fixtures of the organization since 2000, 1999, and 1994, respectively. It should not surprise any of us that the results didn't change.
It should excite this emotionally damaged fanbase that, for the first time in almost 30 years, there are fresh voices at the top. One position where the previous regime seemed to favor a certain archetype was WR, and Sullivan made it clear that there would be changes in that department going forward.
As reported by Barry Jackson and C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald: "[Sullivan] said Malik Washington 'is [a] (expletive) good player' and he loves Waddle but 'we will make a conscientious effort to maybe be a little bigger in that room... [But] Waddle and Malik will help our football team win games. To say we’re going to have a room of 5-9 guys would be a lie.'”
With that in mind, the following are five WR prospects who are very likely to be on the Dolphins' radar come draft time.
5 receiver prospects Miami Dolphins fans should keep an eye on this draft season
Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
Standing at 6'4" and weighing 198 pounds, Brazzell fits the Sullivan mold. In a four-year college career split evenly between Tulane and Tennessee, the former Volunteer racked up 136 receptions for 2,072 yards and 16 touchdowns. At the NFL Combine, he ran a blazing 4.37s 40-yard dash, which tied for the 8th fastest time among WRs.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com lauds Brazzell's "pro-ready" footwork on boundary catches as well as his wide catch radius. As fate would have it, the player comparison Zierlein came up with for Brazzell is a player all too familiar to Jon-Eric Sullivan. That would be Christian Watson, whom the Packers drafted at the top of the second round when Sullivan was working in Green Bay. If you're reading the tea leaves, Brazzell is a safe bet to be high on the Dolphins' draft board.
De'Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss
Stribling is slightly shorter than Brazzell at 6'2", but he is a bit stockier at 207 pounds. In five collegiate seasons spread out between Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss, Stribling hauled in 216 receptions for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had an impressive combine performance, turning in a 4.36s 40-yard dash and a 10'7" broad jump.
Zierlein applauds Stribling's crisp route-running ability and "smooth late adjustments to grab advantages downfield." His athleticism earned him a 9.9 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which compares favorably to reliable Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin.
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
Bryce Lance, the brother of NFL QB Trey Lance, is an absolute specimen at the wide receiver position. Standing 6'3" and weighing 204 pounds, he possesses prototypical size for his position. Lance spent five seasons with the Bison but only got considerable playing time in his final two years. He didn't disappoint, snagging 127 receptions for 2,139 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Lance put on an absolute clinic at the NFL Combine, running a scintillating 4.34s 40-yard dash and a mind-boggling 41.5" vertical jump. His exploits garnered him a 9.95 RAS, a score that correlates very closely to another former North Dakota State alum, Christian Watson. Zierlein warns of the need for more polish, but is bullish on Lance's "blue-chip ball tracking" and "sudden, sticky hands."
J. Michael Sturdivant, Florida
Standing 6'3" and weighing 207 pounds, J. Michael Sturdivant profiles almost identically to Bryce Lance. Through five years of college football split between Cal, UCLA, and Florida, he nabbed 150 receptions for 2,073 yards and 16 TDs. He was consistently productive, although he never truly broke out.
Sturdivant turned heads at the NFL Combine with a 4.4s 40-yard dash with a 10'11" broad jump. His 9.96 RAS ranks 16th out of 3,844 WRs from 1987 to 2026. Zierlein describes Sturdivant as a "traits-based wideout whose production over the last two seasons doesn't match the potential he shows on tape." Perhaps the Dolphins could wind up beneficiaries of that potential if they take the chance on the former Gator.
Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
The final prospect on our list is Jeff Caldwell, whose frame sets him apart from even the lengthy players on this list. Standing at 6'5" and weighing 216 pounds, Caldwell is the prime example of a player you draft because of what you think he can do, rather than what he's done. He had to bide his time at the FCS-level Lindenwood before getting his chance with the Bearcats. In his lone season at Cincinnati, he had 32 receptions for 478 yards and six touchdowns.
Caldwell is truly a unicorn at the position. Being tall doesn't make him that, though. It's the fact that he ran an unbelievable 4.31s 40-yard dash and jumped out of the gym to the tune of a 42" vertical. His 10.0 RAS ranks second all-time. That otherworldly athleticism places him in elite company — we're talking Calvin Johnson and D.K. Metcalf territory here.
If there's a team that can afford to take a chance on developing any of these players, it's the Miami Dolphins.