The Miami Dolphins have had to listen to just about everybody (us here at Phin Phanatic, included) question their group of receiving weapons all offseason. Once Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were officially out the door, it was hard not to. While they have added plenty of names through free agency and the NFL Draft, how much can fans trust a group that could be potentially headlined by Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell?
Well, if the rookie pass catchers have anything to say about it, maybe it won't look as bleak as the general consensus believes. According to Dolphins writer Travis Wingfield, Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. both made splash plays in their first full Dolphins practice on Wednesday.
"Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. both had explosives from Willis. Douglas on a short route then a run after the catch where he showed the long speed," Wingfield wrote on his X account. "Coleman caught a crosser on an absolute bullet from Willis that went for about 25. Douglas also caught a ball on 3rd and 7 right at the sticks with Chris Johnson all over his back, but Douglas plucked it and framed it so Johnson couldn’t rake at it."
Miami Dolphins are already seeing the playmaking ability of their rookie wide receivers
The rookies looking good right away is a great first step for the passing game, but it's only one practice at the end of the day. If Malik Willis is going to have success as the new starting quarterback, it will take everyone in the receiving corps stepping up and taking on more than what should probably be asked of them.
With rookie Chris Bell (arguably the most talented WR on the roster) still sidelined due to his knee injury last season at Louisville, Miami won't get to see the full potential of its rookie class until partway through the season. That put the pressure on Douglas and Coleman Jr. to keep pushing the veterans ahead of them, if not outright beating them out for a starting job.
I have already waxed poetic about the kind of player Coleman Jr. could potentially be for Miami as early as this season, but Douglas is the wildcard. His selection at pick 75 in this year's draft was universally panned as a reach, but he will have the chance to prove that he has more to his game than experts saw at Texas Tech.
If both Coleman Jr. and Douglas can keep making the kind of plays they did in their first camp practice, the vibes surrounding the Dolphins' passing game could change in a hurry. Here's hoping they do just that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google