The Miami Dolphins selected Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft Thursday, reuniting last year’s top Dolphins pick, Tua Tagovailoa, with one of his college targets.
Improving the offensive weapons around Tagovailoa is an undeniable draft priority for the club, and Miami wasted no time in selecting a explosive receiving talent.
Alabama teammates thought about Waddle (5-9, 180) Alabama’s fastest player when healthy after he ran step for step with former UA star Henry Ruggs, the fastest player at the 2020 consolidate, in a friendly 40-yard dash competition two years prior. Alongside blasting velocity, his open-field speed and course adjustment ability made performance handles on Waddle exceptionally troublesome.
He averaged nearly 19 yards for his college career, showing both profound speed and the capacity to break huge plays from short tosses. Waddle likewise brings stellar return skills; he found the middle value of an incredible 24.4 yards for each punt return as a sophomore in 2019 (20-487-1). In returning the initial opening shot against Tennessee a year ago, he endured a high-lower leg sprain with a break that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. He returned, yet tottered, to assume a restricted part in a public title game against Ohio State.
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein analyzes Waddle to Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill.
The Dolphins went to the guarded side of the ball with their next first-rounder, spending the No. 18 generally speaking single out Miami Hurricanes protective end Jaelan Phillips.
The previous UCLA player had wrist and concussion injuries with the Bruins that undermined his profession, however following an exchange to UM, he arose as a prevailing pass-surging power in the wake of passing on the 2019 season. Phillips posted 15 handles for misfortune and eight sacks for the Hurricanes in 2020.
“I compared him to Montez Sweat,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on the draft broadcast. “(He’s) had some health issues that teams had to get comfortable with. But at some point in time, you had to take him. He’s too talented. His athleticism shows up when he plays in space.”
