The Miami Dolphins' top three wide receivers entering the 2026 season are expected to be Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington, and Tutu Atwell. They'll also presumably expect something out of rookie third-round pick Caleb Douglas, who many believe was overdrafted.
In no world is that anywhere close to good enough to help new quarterback Malik Willis along in his first real crack at a starting gig.
Beyond the fact that Douglas was such a polarizing pick, Tolbert and Atwell are on one-year deals. Bullish as I personally am on the latter, Willis may be breaking in a slew of new pass-catchers by next season — if he's still the starter.
One potential trade target who's had an inauspicious start to his NFL career could be a gem for Miami's offense, and he'd be on a cheap rookie contract through at least 2027.
Proposed Miami Dolphins trade sends Panthers WR Xavier Legette to Miami (which isn't as bad as it sounds)
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report dreamed up one trade each team should consider before the 2026 season kicks off. For Miami, Moton surmised that sending a mid-round pick to Carolina would be enough to score 2024 Panthers' first-round selection Xavier Legette:
"Based on overall career production, the Dolphins have the worst wide receiver corps. If they want to see quarterback Malik Willis make strides as a first-time, full-time starter, the club should look to bolster its pass-catching group. Miami could inquire about Legette, who may need a change of scenery. [...] As a former first-round pick, he's underwhelmed, but a new opportunity to be the No. 1 wideout in Miami could lead to increased production.
No way around it. Legette has struggled mightily through two seasons. If you're listed at 6'3", 227 pounds, have sub-4.4 speed, and a 40-inch vert, you should probably not struggle to clear 10 yards per catch.
It's fair to question Legette's route-running, adjustment to the complexities of an NFL offense, and whether he's destined to be a bust. Trust me, I get it. Eight drops as a rookie, and only 84 receptions on 148 career targets.
But let's pump the brakes a bit. It's not as if Bryce Young is some all-world quarterback. The guy can barely see over the line of scrimmage. As celebrated as Young was as a No. 1 overall pick for precision passing, he's a 62.4% passer over the last two years.
Suddenly, Legette's 56.8% catch rate doesn't look quite as bad. Then you factor in that Young's strength is decidedly not pushing the ball downfield, whereas that's what Willis was born to do.
Willis' arm talent dwarfs that of Bryce Young. Atwell is an excellent deep threat, but his 165-pound frame leaves him vulnerable to the brutal physicality of the NFL game. Tolbert has good size, decent speed, and solid ball skills. Still, his ceiling is nowhere near Legette's, whose style of play and best attributes are a better match with Willis as opposed to Young.
Carolina just happened to strike gold with a legit WR1 in Tetairoa McMillan during last year's draft. Jalen Coker has come on strong as a legit No. 2 option as well.
That doesn't necessarily mean Legette can't play. McMillan and Coker are really freaking good. This sort of thing happens in the NFL all the time.
The Panthers just spent a third-round selection of their own on another size-speed type of wideout in Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II. The writing appears to be on the wall that Legette has fallen out of favor in Charlotte. Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan should absolutely get Dan Morgan on the phone. He might even be able to score Legette for a fifth- or sixth-rounder at this point.
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