The Miami Dolphins need leadership on the field, leadership they can rely upon. Jaylen Waddle is one of those players who needs to become just that.
OTAs don't mean much in the overall plan for an NFL regular season, but they do set a tone of expectation for players and coaches.
While they won't answer a bunch of questions leading into training camp, they can provide glimpses of what could be expected.
Jaylen Waddle sees a different side of the Miami Dolphins secondary that fans can't see
Following a recent OTA practice session, Waddle shared how he has been impressed with one unit that has had Dolphins fans quite worried, the secondary. His impressions should at least quell some of the concerns.
"They look extremely good. I’m not going to lie to y’all, they are making it really tough on the receivers. They are playing true to their technique. I think they are doing a good job of taking what they do in individual [drills] to when we go into team [drills].
They look really, really good. I’m not even going to lie to y’all. We’re going to need them to step up and be key for us. I’m happy that they are doing extremely good.”
As he said, the Dolphins are going to need the backend of the defense to be good this year, so if they are starting to click now, it will only help them later.
During the early offseason workouts, Waddle was reportedly cruising through defenders, specifically Cam Smith. Smith reportedly has been a bit banged up after the first couple of practices. It's unclear what he is doing now, with most sessions closed to the media.
Miami is still dealing with the Jalen Ramsey situation as well as a potential trade of Jonnu Smith. Waddle is only concerned about what he is doing. With Tyreek Hill not back completely, Waddle is getting a chance to show his teammates that he can be a leader. It's an opportunity he needs to relish.