Miami Dolphins take Jaylen Waddle at 6 after Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase go 4-5
DeVonta Smith was college football’s best player in 2020.
But the Miami Dolphins believe Jaylen Waddle will be a better pro than his Alabama teammate.
The Dolphins took Waddle over Smith with the sixth overall pick, going with game-changing speed over Smith’s catch-everything resume.
Waddle embraced Smith here when the pick was announced, and then began his new life as a professional — where he’ll catch passes from his college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Smith went four picks later to the Eagles, who moved up into the top 10 to take him.
Waddle, who stands just 5-foot-9 but has sub-4.4 second speed, missed much of his final year at Alabama with a broken ankle but played through pain in the national championship game.
While Waddle and Smith will always be linked, he will also be judged against the two players who went ahead of him: Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Dolphins would have had their pick of the group had they stayed at 3, but instead had to take the third pass-catcher off the board after trading down to 6.
The first two picks were a fait accompli. Trevor Lawrence went first to the Jaguars and Zach Wilson second to the Jets.
Then, the 49ers went on the clock — and the draft truly began. Thursday’s news that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay — and into San Francisco — made some wonder: Would the Niners really pass on a quarterback after surrendering two first-round picks to move up nine spots?
We got that answer at 8:41 p.m., when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the name Trey Lance, quarterback of North Dakota State.
Then came the question the Dolphins and their fans have been sweating out for weeks: Would the Falcons take Pitts at 4?
The answer was yes — creating an anxious 10 minutes in Davie.
Pitts and Chase were the two best pass-catchers in the draft.
And then went in the two picks immediately preceding Miami’s.
That didn’t seem to much bother Tagovailoa, who posted video on social media of him celebrating the Dolphins’ selection when it was announced.
“I’m excited to get back with him, get everything down, timing down, things like that,” Waddle told reporters.
Waddle, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, is a “thrilling, game-breaking talent who will come into the league as one of the fastest receivers to ever play the game. His whereabouts pre-snap and post-snap must be accounted for at all times. Despite his size, he’s a legitimate outside option, thanks to his ability to not only take the top off the defense, but also go up and win 50-50 throws. Waddle’s adept at working all three levels, so it will be tough for defenses to predict how offenses will utilize him, as he has the potential to post a higher catch volume in the right offense. Waddle can instantly upgrade a team’s scoring potential, whether it’s with the deep ball, the catch-and-run or as a return man.”
That sounds like it could be bad news for Jakeem Grant, who checks a lot of those same boxes and would save the Dolphins close to $3 million in cap space if he is released.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 9:23 PM.
