So many options, so little time. This is the dilemma the Miami Dolphins will face this offseason. And as it pertains specifically to the Dolphins’ hunt for better skill players to bolster their offensive weaponry, the obvious appeal of adding more Alabama Crimson Tide prospects to the mix is going to be hard to ignore. DeVonta Smith? He’s a Heisman Trophy winner. Najee Harris? A freakishly big running back who would fit perfectly in the backfield with Tua Tagovailoa. Jaylen Waddle? The most explosive of the bunch.
But if you could only get one, which would you rather have?
The relationship that Tagovailoa has developed with each would make such a proposition a difficult one. And make no mistake, there is no wrong answer here. But the argument can be constructed that the Dolphins can find comparable options to all three players later in this year’s draft or via free agency — so it will come down to which player can bring the most of something the team doesn’t already have.
Najee Harris has a great relationship with Tagovailoa, but he plays the less valuable position between himself and the two wide receivers. With North Carolina’s Javonte Williams looming as an appealing alternative option for an early Day 2 selection, picking Harris over each of the Alabama wide receivers would be a difficult sell. Let us be clear: we’re not getting down on Harris by any means! He will likely finish as the Dolphins’ RB1 in the NFL Draft process and would be a terrific addition to the running game.
But if his role is more easily replicated, then how do you pick him over the wide receivers? Smith is such a popular name for Dolphins fans given his performance down the stretch for the Crimson Tide and his rapport with Tagovailoa, but don’t sleep on Jaylen Waddle’s talents. Waddle is something of a forgotten commodity at this point given that he missed the majority of the season with a broken leg before making a brief appearance in the National Championship game.
But did you know that Jaylen Waddle had more receiving yards than DeVonta Smith through the team’s first four games before a broken leg ended his regular season against Tennessee on the opening kickoff? Waddle, who is going to run in the 4.2’s in the 40-yard dash and is a more dense build than Smith, entered the Tennessee game with a 557 to 483 receiving yard advantage over Smith through the team’s first four games. And with the special teams impact as a returner serving as icing on the cake, all we’re asking Dolphins fans is to consider Waddle as the potential perfect transplant from Tuscaloosa to South Florida this offseason.
Waddle has Tyreek Hill-esque potential as an NFL player with his speed and skill with the ball in his hands. Smith has drawn comparisons to Marvin Harrison — so we’re really splitting hairs here. But given how paltry Miami’s run after the catch issues were in 2020, we certainly would think long and hard about passing up on that dynamic that Waddle’s game-breaking speed could provide.