The moment the Miami Dolphins decided to trade Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, an uncomfortable question emerged. See, few expected the Dolphins to be great this year. However, when general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley put their respective reputations on the line and pursued quarterback Malik Willis, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that they wanted to provide him an environment conducive to winning.
Trading away the best receiver on the team — by a wide margin — is a strange way of building around your new quarterback. As the offseason unfolded, it became painfully clear that the Dolphins had no intention of bringing in a proven replacement. They stood pat on the household names, opting instead for veterans like Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Jalen Reagor, and Terrace Marshall Jr.
In the draft, they added a trio of pass-catchers in Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman Jr., and followed the draft by inking undrafted free agent Donaven McCulley. All of those newcomers joined the few survivors of the Mike McDaniel era, Malik and Tahj Washington, A.J. Henning, and Theo Wease Jr. Outside of the expected reliability of Malik Washington and jaw-dropping heroics from Douglas, the group played to their perception.
The Miami Dolphins receivers were the worst in the league in preseason Week 1, and time to act is running out
In preseason Week 1, the Dolphins' 47.1 team receiving grade, courtesy of Pro Football Focus, was the worst in the league. There were four drops — from fullback D.J. Herman, tight end Seydou Traore, and wideouts Jalen Reagor and Tahj Washington. Terrace Marshall Jr. also had a drop that was nullified by an accepted penalty, and preceding his circus catch, Douglas lost his spot on the field and made a routine catch with a foot out of bounds.
Malik Willis had 43 passing yards on four completions on his first and only drive of the night. The Dolphins would only complete four more passes, for 66 yards, over the remaining three and a half quarters. While plenty of the blame should and does go towards quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller, the receivers aren't completely absolved of blame.
Miami was reportedly interested in Stefon Diggs before he ultimately signed with the Washington Commanders a few weeks ago. As things stand, the Dolphins may be limited to trading for a player or making a waiver addition if they wish to significantly shake up the room before the season gets here. The top remaining free agents have considerable question marks surrounding them, as is to be expected this late in the offseason.
Tyreek Hill returning for a second tour of duty seems like a pipe dream, and it's becoming increasingly clear he may not recover from his catastrophic 2025 knee injury in time to play for anyone this season. Then there are elder veterans Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks, Tyler Lockett, and Sterling Shepard, who would offer questionable upside for a rebuilding team like the Dolphins. The remaining names are either injured, like former Buffalo Bill Gabe Davis, or haven't produced in a long time.
This makes it imperative for Sullivan and his staff to have their eyes peeled this preseason. Dozens of NFL wide receivers will be out of work come August 30 when teams are forced to cut down to 53 players. There's a very real chance that a player wearing another team's colors right now will be joining the Dolphins in short order.
Miami cannot afford to miss a thorough evaluation of Malik Willis. Lingering questions at quarterback when all is said and done would be an abject disaster. Adding a receiver who can get open and make tough catches will go a long way toward ensuring that, one way or another, Willis has been given a fair shake.
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