Dolphins choose Jaylen Waddle with 6th overall pick
The Miami Dolphins selected receiver Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Waddle gives the Dolphins a speedy offensive playmaker. The former Crimson Tide star averaged 18.9 yards per reception and compiled 17 touchdowns during his time in Tuscaloosa.
The Alabama product missed a significant portion of last season due to an ankle injury but returned for the national championship game. He finished the 2020 season with 591 receiving yards in six games.
Waddle will now be reunited with former college teammate Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have prioritized adding firepower around the young signal-caller this offseason, as the club also signed Will Fuller as a free agent.
Draft profile
Key stats: 28 receptions, 591 yards, 4 TDs, 21.1 YPC
Waddle brings a level of deep-play ability that none of his peers in the 2021 class offer. But teams would be wise not to label him purely a speedster, as he's a much more complete player. With pure explosiveness in and out of breaks and an other-worldly release off the line of scrimmage (making him dominant even in press coverage), Waddle doesn't just separate - he leaves defenders in the dust. The talented wideout plays bigger than his listed size, producing on contested targets while displaying great ball-tracking ability. He's an ideal featured weapon for the modern NFL game.