Analysts, evaluators rave about Miami Dolphins’ selection of Jaylen Waddle
Cheetah Jr?
>>ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “Twenty four yard average as a punt returner in 2019. He’s coast to coast as a punt returner. He’s coast to coast catching touchdown receptions. Spectacular player. You think about this past year, w hat he was able to do before he fractured that ankle Oct. 24 against Tennessee.
“He had 120 or more receiving yards each of those first four games and in each of those games, he had a reception of 45 or more yards as well as six touchdown catches. Then came the injury Oct. 24.
NFL Net’s Daniel Jeremiah: “Building a little bit of a track team in Miami. When you bring over Will Fuller in free agency and add the most explosive and fastest receiver in this year’s draft, that’s not my opinion, that’s what the GPS numbers tell them.
“Waddle gives you a little bit more juice, but DeVonta Smith plays plenty fast, as well. I just thought what you get after the catch with some of the shiftiness and then just the home run speed with Waddle is why I ended up with Waddle over Smith.
“Waddle had the fastest GPS of any receiver in the country. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you when you watch him. He’s freaky fast. I had my comparison to Santana Moss; that’s who he reminds me of not only as a receiver but a phenomenal returner.”
▪ Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy: “What separates Jaylen Waddle from a bunch of other good slot-type receivers in this year’s draft is he’s not just quick — he’s quick and fast. You go back to last year’s draft — his own teammate, Henry Ruggs, was the fastest receiver in last year’s draft.
“There’s a video circulating on social media right now with these guys in a photo finish in a 40-yard-dash footrace and I’ve been on the field and I’ve timed Henry Ruggs in the 4-2 (range).
ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “You don’t have to put him at the X or Z. You can give it to him real quick, just like Kansas City gives it to Tyreek Hill. It doesn’t always have to be a bomb.
“He’s an angle destroyer. He’s going to absolutely run away from everyone else and no one can catch him. The ability to stretch the field. You can’t match up with him especially if you’re an inside coverage player and in particular if you’re a safety. You can outrun defenders; this is what this guy can do.
“He can run those short crossers and take off and go. That’s what Tua needs - someone I can get the ball out of my hand quick, make a couple easy completions and all of a sudden, I’m rolling. That’s what Jaylen can do in addition to the big plays down the field.”
▪ NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: “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.”
▪ ESPN’s Booger McFarland: “This is good for Miami. This is how you team build. When they traded down from three, you know they were going all in with Tua. He’s the most explosive player.”
▪ Tidbits on Waddle: He has a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted in the slot since 2019… His 17 touchdowns in college averaged 44.5 yards… Waddle averaged 9.8 yards after the catch in his career at Alabama, highest among all Power 5 receivers with at least 100 catches since 2014. The Dolphins were 30th in YAC last season.
▪ NFL Net’s and CBS’ Charles Davis: “It’s a great complement to what they already have, when you think about DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Mike Gesicki, now you got that guy that can really explode.”
NFL Net’s Bucky Brooks, a former scout, said “Waddle has a higher ceiling than DeVonta Smith. He’s the more explosive, more dynamic playmaker. He’s the best catch-and-run specialist in the class. He has a knack for turning short passes into long gains with his electric running skills and cat-like stop-start quickness.”
▪ Stanford coach David Shaw: “Receivers have got three jobs: No. 1 change field position, No. 2 score points and No. 3 get people out of their seats. This guy is going to do all three. And he’s going to do them very, very quickly.”
▪ ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit: “The real question is if he doesn’t go down with that injury, does he win the Heisman instead of DeVonta Smith? Prior to that injury, we were all watching [Waddle] and he was the guys defenses tried to account for. Lightning quick, game changing Tyreek Hill quickness in space. I think he has more versatility than Tyreek Hill.
“He’s probably a slot in the NFL. His route-running, you can move him around. He’s not just going to be in one spot in one role. He has the ability to go downfield, not just quickness underneath and yards after the catch, which he was known for early in his career.”
▪A shout-out to Paramount Sports’ Lee Sterling for calling me this afternoon and making the case that Waddle was the perfect fit for the Dolphins as a slot receiver that can take the top off the defense and also a great punt returner. As we reported here back in February, the Dolphins wanted to add a dynamic slot receiver this offseason.