Miami Dolphins draft speedy Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle No. 6 as target for Tua Tagovailoa
The Miami Dolphins landed a receiver with the No. 6 overall draft pick Thursday night when they selected Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle, who instantly becomes one of the fastest players in team history.
Waddle will be reunited with Tua Tagovailoa, his former collegiate quarterback with the Crimson Tide.
Waddle, 5-feet-9 1/2 and 180 pounds, did not run the 40 at the Crimson Tide’s pro day because he was coming off a broken ankle suffered last season. But no stopwatch is necessary to know teams will have to respect his speed. Waddle has been compared to Kansas City game-breaker Tyreek Hill.
“If there’s a big play out there, I think I can make it,” Waddle said.
The Dolphins selected Waddle after Atlanta, picking fourth, took tight end Kyle Pitts and Cincinnati, next up, went for receiver Ja’Marr Chase, reuniting him with teammate Joe Burrow.
Waddle’s addition gives Tagovailoa plenty of options when he looks downfield. Waddle joins DeVante Parker and free-agent addition Will Fuller in a formidable receiving corps that includes Preston Williams, who is coming off knee surgery, and veterans Jakeem Grant, Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson.
“Your eyes aren’t deceiving you when you watch him,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s freaky fast.”
Coming out of Episcopal High in Houston, Waddle had 45 receptions for 848 yards (18.8 average) and seven touchdowns as a freshman in 2018. He also returned 16 punts for 233 yards (14.6) and one touchdown.
In 2019, Waddle had 33 receptions for 560 yards (17.0) and six TDs behind first-round picks Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III. Waddle was a 2019 second-team Associated Press All-American and the SEC special teams player of the year, having averaged 24.4 yards on 20 punt returns. He also averaged 35.0 yards on five kickoff returns.
