Tag: Malik Washington

Dolphins turning to rookie Malik Washington to handle return duties

With Braxton Berrios done for the year, the Dolphins are turning to Malik Washington to make plays in the return game.

The Miami Dolphins will be without Braxton Berrios for the rest of 2024, but they’re hoping sixth-round rookie Malik Washington can provide a spark in return game instead.

“He did a good job in the preseason, got a good history,” Dolphins special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said of Washington on Thursday.  “Sadly, with Braxton getting injured, we felt really off to a strong year in the return game and decision-making and some of the things that he was able to do. But with Malik and some of the other guys that we’ve talked about over the years, we think we still have some quality players on the roster.”

Washington, 23, returned four kickoffs and 10 punts in preseason, averaging 28.8 yards on kick returns and 8.4 yards on punts. That included a 45-yard kick return and a 28-yard punt return during the Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, that yardage was largely picked up against backup special teamers and Washington muffed the first punt kicked his way in August. It wouldn’t be surprising if there are growing pains for the rookie, who is tasked with replacing a sixth-year veteran who once earned All-Pro honors.

Behind Washington on the depth chart for kick return duties is running back De’Von Achane, who returned one kick for 32 yards in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Dolphins also have Tyreek Hill, who earned All-Pro honors as a rookie for his return skills, but hasn’t returned a kickoff in nearly eight years.

“I’m washed up in that department, bro. For real, I’m done,” Hill said with a laugh. “No, if the team needs me to go back there and return punts, obviously I’ll go back there. In critical situations I’m always trying to get the ball in my hands. I always want to be that playmaker. That’s just my mindset so for the past few weeks I’ve been practicing catching punts anyways, so if my number is called, I’m going to go back there.”

For now, though, it’s Washington who will be tasked with keeping the Dolphins, who rank fourth in average punt return yards and 13th in kick return average, on track.

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Dolphins list 4 starters as inactive vs. Titans in Week 4

The Dolphins will be missing a few starters, but rookie Malik Washington is set to make his NFL debut Monday.

The Miami Dolphins ruled out four starters on the team’s list of inactives for a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans.

On Saturday, the team announced that left tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller would not play due to concussions suffered a week ago. They’re joined on the group of inactives by running back Raheem Mostert, who was listed as questionable, and linebacker David Long Jr., who was doubtful.

The notable omission from the list is rookie wide receiver Malik Washington, who missed the first three weeks of the season due to hamstring issue. While he was listed as questionable to play against the Titans, the sixth-round pick is now set to make his NFL debut Monday night.

Among the players out of action for the Titans is two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.

Tennessee defensive backs L’Jarius Sneed and Amani Hooker were both questionable to play Monday, but both are active and will be in the lineup against the Dolphins.

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The Dolphins may need Malik Washington to step up early as a rookie

With only four receivers on the roster, there’s a huge opportunity for Malik Washington to step up.

One of the Miami Dolphins’ biggest issues in 2023 was their wide receiver depth. Miami’s initial 53-man roster shows this position group’s depth will be put to the test almost immediately in 2024.

With offseason signee Odell Beckham Jr. starting the season on the PUP list and returning receiver River Cracraft sent to the short-term IR, Miami has only four receivers on their 53-man roster.

That could mean a lot is placed on rookie receiver Malik Washington’s plate.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form debatably the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL, and Braxton Berrios has been a reliable short-yardage target throughout his career. But those are the only three receivers on the current iteration of the roster outside of Washington.

Just like last season, the Dolphins already find themselves depleted at the position.

While the season is yet to start, though, the team has liked what it’s seen from Malik Washington. The Virginia product put together his best preseason performance came in the final game against the Buccaneers. He had two impressive returns, a seven-yard catch and a 40-yard rush. That provide hope for a banged up wide receiving corps.

And according to head coach Mike McDaniel, Washington showed something they saw in his college tape: his aggressiveness.

“We hadn’t gotten the chance to see something we saw in college from him that he put on display tonight, which is his balance and ability to break tackles,” McDaniel said after the game. “It was definitely a big spark for us, and I was happy to see him really own the moment.”

Can Washington show it in the regular season too? It would certainly help the Dolphins if he could.

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Injuries at WR have given Dolphins coaches clarity in roster battles

Mike McDaniel says a silver lining of wide receiver injuries is that players lower on the depth chart have seen more reps.

The Miami Dolphins still haven’t seen Odell Beckham Jr. on the practice field and neither Tyreek Hill nor Jaylen Waddle have played in a preseason game yet. To make matters more challenging, River Cracraft went down with an injury Saturday and Willie Snead IV joined Tahj Washington on IR on Monday.

While there’s no reason to think Hill and Waddle won’t be available Week 1, the Dolphins have been forced to dig pretty deep into the depth chart in practices and preseason. Head coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t hated that, though.

“We’ve had a couple lineup changes — I think would be a conservative way to say it — but we’re also getting a very clear picture of some very strong battles and giving guys opportunities,” McDaniel said Monday. “How cool is it, from my vantage point, some of the opportunities that Erik Ezukanma was able to really showcase his talents?

“Some of the younger receivers got a lot of involvement, whether they were getting targeted or not, we got to see really who we’re working with. … There’s so many people to evaluate and this is such a tough roster to make. You do appreciate some clarity with some of those battles when you do have injuries in positions really.”

Ezukanma made the most of his reps Saturday night against the Washington Commanders, finishing with five receptions for 65 yards. No other player on either team finished with more than 34 receiving yards.

Sixth-round rookie Malik Washington is another player who has received additional reps due to the wave of wide receiver injuries. Through two preseason games, he has two receptions for nine yards, 21 rushing yards, and 122 return yards.

With cut day now just a week away, Dolphins coaches have all the info they need to whittle their receiver room down. While it’d probably be better to have the full complement of receivers working together in camp, there’s a silver lining, at least.

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Rookie WR Malik Washington could be Dolphins’ X-Factor in one department

Dolphins rookie receiver Malik Washington could bring one thing Mike McDaniel’s passing game fell short with in 2023.

Breaking news: The Miami Dolphins are loaded with offensive playmakers.

Okay, that’s not exactly amazing analysis. Between quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, receivers Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Odell Beckham Jr., and running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, head coach and offensive shot-caller Mike McDaniel has as many weapons as anybody in the NFL.

That certainly manifested itself in the passing game in the 2023 season. Miami ranked second in the league behind the Minnesota Vikings in passing yards (4,698), fourth in air yards (2,423), third in yards after the catch (2,292), and fourth in receiving touchdowns (30).

Where the Dolphins weren’t quite as successful was when it was time to create yards after first contact. There, Miami’s targets ranked 22nd in the league with 713. To put that in context, the San Francisco 49ers ranked first in receiving yards after contact with 1,157. McDaniel, who was once Kyle Shanahan’s run game and offensive coordinator in San Francisco, probably looks at his old boss’s offense and would like some of that spice.

And with the selection of Virginia receiver Malik Washington in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, that spice could very well be on the menu. Last season, the 5-foot-8, 194-pound Washington caught 110 passes on 122 targets for 1,426 yards, 679 air yards, 707 yards after the catch… and 339 yards after contact, which ranked first among receivers in this draft class.

While Washington has enticing speed and quickness on the field, what sets him apart is his build and his mentality, which is much more like a running back’s. It’s in those contested situations where you see his desire to extend the play by any means necessary.

The question is how often Washington will see the field with both Hill and Waddle as the primary receivers. Last season, per Sports Info Solutions, the Dolphins lined up in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) on just 44% of their snaps, which ranked 30th in the NFL. They lined up in 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end, two receivers) 42% of the time, and that was the league’s highest rate. It’s probably a situational thing to start — perhaps on third down, when Miami’s use of 11 personnel shot up to 80%.

However it happens, both player and coach are aware of the potential advantages of Washington’s addition.

“I think he is competing,” McDaniel said in late April. “The part of Malik that we like the most is there are some professional football players in that room that he’s going to have to compete against to get opportunities. We identified him as a person and an athlete that would be up for the challenge and that’s a tall task. So you know that when you’re looking at these guys and that’s one of the reasons we felt he was a fit to be here.”

For Washington, it’s all about his grit.

“Some of that stuff you can’t cultivate, you have to be born with it. You have to be born with a certain mindset, a certain toughness, and I feel like ever since I started playing football, that’s just how I played. That’s how I play the game, that’s how I see the game. It’s going to be hard-nosed. You’re going to have to stick your nose in there and get dirty sometimes.

“[In] traffic, there’s going to be linebackers, corners and safeties in play when you’re running your routes and catching the ball, just being ready for that. I think it’s a since of urgency you have to have. You have to have some awareness to know where guys are coming from, but that toughness is going to shine through once you catch that ball, once you’re going over the middle. That’s something that’s got to be huge in my game.”

Huge in college, and it could be a major deal in the Dolphins’ passing game in 2024.

For 4-star QB Malik Washington, committing to local Maryland was a family matter

Four-star quarterback Malik Washington’s commitment to Maryland allows him to stay close to his siblings.

Malik Washington’s commitment to Maryland on Friday gave the Terrapins one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 recruiting cycle and in the program’s recent history. For Washington, it provided a way to stay close to family and join a team he sees on an upward trajectory.

The Archbishop Spalding High School (Severn, Md.) incoming senior told 247Sports that being around his siblings was a key part of his decision.

“I have my little brother here running around, and I want to be able to watch him and my little sisters grow up. If I can do it from home, why not do it from home?” he said to the recruiting outlet.

Washington is listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. A four-star quarterback, he is ranked on the 247Sports Composite as the No. 8 player in Maryland and No. 23 quarterback in the class, though on the recently updated 247Sports metrics as the No. 3 player in the state and No. 14 quarterback in the class of 2025.

Washington had 22 offers and had made visits to Syracuse, UCF and Virginia Tech, in addition to Maryland.

Over his two years starting, he has thrown for 5,072 yards at a 60.9% clip with 50 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Washington is the top-ranked high school quarterback to recruit to the Terrapins since Mike Locksley became head coach in 2019, and likely longer. Over the last 15 years, the closest to Washington’s grade of 91 was 2014 dual-threat commit Will Ulmer, who was graded at 90.

“I feel like Maryland’s program is on the come-up,” Washington said to 247Sports in the interview. “Winning three bowl games back-to-back-to-back, they are moving in the right direction. They just need a couple of key pieces to push them over the edge to reach that national level.”

Going back to 2021, Maryland has records of 7-6, 8-5 and 8-5 with wins in the Pinstripe Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Music City Bowl.

With Washington’s decision, Maryland has 16 players committed to the class of 2025. The group is ranked as the No. 34 class in the country.

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Dolphins’ Malik Washington gets tattoo to commemorate 2024 NFL draft

“With the 184th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select…”

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington is aiming to make the team’s 53-man roster, but first he’s taking in the journey that led him to the NFL.

In a feature with Inked Magazine, Washington documented a trip to get a tattoo that commemorates his time with the Virginia Cavaliers and the Dolphins’ decision to draft him.

“With the 184th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select…” the tattoo reads, in part.

While Washington was tremendously productive in the collegiate ranks — finishing the 2023 season with an FBS-leading 110 receptions — it may be a while before he sees reps with the Dolphins. But the rookie receiver plans on “being a sponge” in a loaded receiving corps that includes productive veterans Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and the newly acquired Odell Beckham Jr.

Washington may eventually prove to be a draft steal for the Dolphins who should’ve been picked earlier than the sixth round. But the receiver is embracing every part of the journey, regardless.

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Dolphins sign Jaylen Wright, 4 other draft picks

The Dolphins got most of their 2024 NFL draft class officially under contract Tuesday.

The Miami Dolphins announced contracts for five of their seven 2024 NFL draft picks Tuesday morning.

Running back Jaylen Wright, pass rusher Mohamed Kamara, wide receiver Malik Washington, safety Patrick McMorris, and wide receiver Tahj Washington are all under contract now. Only first-round pick Chop Robinson and second-rounder Patrick Paul remain unsigned.

The Dolphins’ decision to wait until June to begin signing its 2024 draft class wasn’t surprising as the team had limited salary cap space until Saturday when Xavien Howard officially came off the team’s books. With an additional $18.5 million at its disposal, Miami likely won’t wait long to get Robinson and Paul under contract too.

All five players signed Tuesday were taken on the third day of the 2024 NFL draft. Wright was selected first of the group with a fourth-round pick that was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Dolphins’ 2024 offseason program will wrap up this week with a three-day mandatory minicamp that runs from Tuesday to Thursday.

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Malik Washington plans on ‘being a sponge’ in Dolphins receiver room

Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington has one main goal for his rookie season: soak up knowledge.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington has one main goal for his rookie season: soak up knowledge. And he’s in the perfect situation to do it.

With Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Odell Beckham Jr. sitting ahead of him on the depth chart, Washington has the opportunity to learn from some of the best.

“I got three guys ahead of me that know what they are doing,” Washington said Friday at the Dolphins’ rookie minicamp. “They’ve done it before, and they’ve had a lot of success at doing it. Being a sponge, taking in all of the information I can and trying to take it into my game as well.”

Washington already got a head start on talking to receivers who know the game. Prior to the draft, the sixth-round pick talked with former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., who analyzed his game on a podcast.

“I was talking to one of the greats — one of the guys that I’ve watched his film, I’ve watched him play the game, that’s who I like to model my game after,” Washington said. “So taking some of that criticism — catching that ball and getting straight vertical, knowing the tempo and timing of routes, I think that’s important. Especially when you get to this level where everybody is fast, everybody plays hard and everybody is quick.”

After transferring from Northwestern to Virginia, Washington became a featured receiver in 2023. He more than matched his career yards and touchdowns, hauling in a nation-leading 110 passes for 1,426 yards and nine touchdown receptions in his fifth college season.

Washington said he made sure he caught everything thrown his way, but that’s not even what he would say is his best attribute.

“It will take who can be the best pro, who can learn the information as quickly as possible and utilize it on the field,” he said. “I think that will be to my advantage. I’ll try my best to do that. I’ll study hard and take that to the NFL game plan.”

Washington said he wants to continue to develop his own game, which includes working closely with the offensive coaching staff and quarterback room. Regardless, he’s confident in his ability to make defenders’ jobs harder on themselves.

“I don’t think anybody can tackle me,” Washington said. “I don’t want anybody to tackle me. I don’t want to touch the grass. Each time I get the ball, I’m trying to go score.”

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WATCH: Highlights of Dolphins 7th-round draft pick Tahj Washington

New Dolphins receiver Tahj Washington put up big numbers as Caleb Williams’ favorite target at USC last year.

The Miami Dolphins finished their 2024 NFL draft by double-dipping at the wide receiver position and taking USC’s Tahj Washington in the seventh round.

Despite taking a receiver named Washington a round prior (Virginia’s Malik Washington), the Dolphins added Tahj Washington in hopes of finally finding a reliable third receiving option for Tua Tagovailoa.

Both Washingtons could provide help on another unit too.

“Special teams has always been a part of my game,” Tahj Washington said Saturday. “Gunner on punt, corner on punt return, kickoff returner, [punt] returner, a lot of history in special teams. I love to compete. Anytime I get the opportunity to be on the field, I want to be out there.”

Those qualities are probably the reason the Dolphins picked him with the No. 241 overall selection. But his receiving skills are nothing to scoff at either. As Caleb Williams’ favorite receiver at USC, he put up big numbers in 2023:

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