The Miami Dolphins were once a team with an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions. Make no mistake, Miami was the source of the league's envy when they were setting records from 2022–2023 behind major contributions from Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, and others. But time stops for no one, and Miami is no different.
In ranking each team's offensive skill positions, ESPN's Bill Barnwell delivered a crushing blow to the Miami faithful when he placed the Dolphins 32nd — dead last — in the league. Achane can only do so much heavy lifting for a team that's in an extreme retooling phase. As Barnwell tells it:
"De’Von Achane is the last one standing from the group that ranked among the best in the NFL two years ago. Achane is a legitimately great back, capable of both patiently getting what's blocked and producing spectacularly explosive big plays if given any sort of open space. I worry he won't see much of that playing within the structure of this offense in 2026, but we're evaluating the fourth-year pro independent of the players around him."
"Unfortunately, this might be the worst receiving corps I've seen assembled on purpose by an NFL team in recent memory. Third and fourth wideouts such as Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell are the veterans being forced into starting roles."
"Third-round picks Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas -- who might be fourth or fifth wideouts in other lineups -- are going to be pushed into the lineup by midseason. I'm a little excited about Greg Dulcich, who was second in the NFL in yards per route run among tight ends from Week 9 onward last season, but he'll need to be prime Travis Kelce to make this group of receivers work."
The Miami Dolphins have nowhere to go but up with their unproven but undoubtedly talented skill players
Ouch. There is no place more telling of all the changes that have befallen the Dolphins over the past four months than the wide receiver room. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle — lovingly referred to as the Cheetah and the Penguin — have moved on to new zoos. Gone, too, are Cedrick Wilson Jr., Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Dee Eskridge.
When the smoke cleared, the only survivors of Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley's housecleaning were the Washingtons, Malik and Tahj, and undrafted rookie Theo Wease Jr. A.J. Henning also endured as a practice squad member in 2025, who will get a second look in training camp this year. That's a group that has, frankly, not accomplished very much at the NFL level.
Naturally, there was a lot of work to be done replenishing the room. Jon-Eric Sullivan inked a quartet of former top prospects turned hungry veterans in Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Reagor, and Terrace Marshall Jr. He also selected three rookies at the position: Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman Jr. The cherry on top was undrafted free agent Donaven McCulley.
To put things into perspective, Jaylen Waddle has more career receiving yards than all 12 of the wide receivers under contract for the Dolphins right now combined. That's a damning stat to hide from.
What's more, when we zoom out from just wide receivers and include tight ends, Darren Waller, Julian Hill, and Jalin Conyers are all gone, too. This makes Barnwell's mention of Dulcich particularly notable, as some are expecting him to be the team's top option in the pass game this season.
While I'd love to push back and call Barnwell a banana (kidding — he's fantastic) for naming Miami last, it's a fair ranking. At least for now.
Atwell, Tolbert, Reagor, and Marshall Jr. were all drafted in the top 100 of their respective drafts. When you exclude Tolbert at No. 88, they all went in the top 60. These are players who have speed, plus traits, and for some, flashes in the pros. It's not quite the same as proven commodities, but it's not a team of undrafted free agents either.
The Dolphins' drafted wideouts will also have a chance to showcase their skills without veterans blocking them on the depth chart. Miami needs to know what they have in Douglas and Coleman Jr., and eventually Chris Bell when he heals up from his ACL tear. They'll have plenty of opportunities this year, and there's value in that.
Dulcich was a revelation late last season, and he's another player who was originally selected on Day 2 of the draft. It doesn't automatically mean a player will perform, but it shows the talent was always there. When talent meets opportunity, good things usually happen. The Dolphins are oozing with unrealized potential, and the opportunity to realize it makes for a great formula.
Now, time will tell if any of these new Dolphins take advantage of their opportunity. If they do, Miami won't stay ranked 32nd for very long.
Add us as a preferred source on Google