How Chiefs Can Capitalize on Jaylen Waddle Trade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Miami signed Malik Willis last week and traded Jaylen Waddle to Denver on Tuesday.

And after releasing Tyreek Hill last month, the Dolphins’ top three wideouts are now Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Malik Washington.

veac — Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Translation: Expect the Dolphins to want a wide receiver in the first round. That’s of interest to the Chiefs because Kansas City is scheduled to draft ninth overall, two slots ahead of Miami at 11. Should Carnell Tate, for example, get to the Chiefs at 9, would new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan speed dial Brett Veach?

Dolphins current starting WRs:

5'8" Malik Washington
5'9" Tutu Atwell
6'1" Jalen Tolbert https://t.co/qaS0iBY4hr
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 17, 2026

The Rueben Bain domino

Making that deal with the Dolphins could come down to how much the Chiefs like Rueben Bain, whose arms measured only 30 7/8 inches at the combine. Because the Miami Hurricanes edge rusher is so polarizing -- some see him as a top-10 pick, some as a late first-rounder and some simply won’t touch him on Day 1 because of arms – he could still be on the board at 11.

And assuming the Chiefs like Bain, one of the many draft scenarios they’ll rehearse before April 23 is moving down to 11, still getting Bain, and netting an additional third-rounder from the Dolphins.

Miami isn’t likely to be the only team that calls the Chiefs, either, even though Kansas City would love to be picking just an hour earlier that night. Veach explained that dilemma last month.

“Every year when we were picking 31, 32, I'd always say, ‘Man, if we were just at 24, 25, we'd be exactly where we want to be,’” Veach said Feb. 24 at the combine. “And now that we're at 9, I'm like, ‘Man, if we were just at 4 or 5, we'd be exactly where we want to be.’ So, I think every GM kind of has that mindset where, unless you have the first pick, there's a certain element that you can't control. And you have to let the dominoes fall, if you will.”

The Carnell Tate domino

Should those dominoes fall with a wide receiver starting at the Chiefs when they’re on the clock at 9, history says taking that position would be a mistake. Waddle is one reason why. The sixth-overall selection in the 2021 draft, Waddle has yet to earn a Pro Bowl selection in five seasons.

He’s not alone. Since the Chiefs traded up to take Patrick Mahomes in 2017, NFL teams have drafted 13 wide receivers in the top 10. Only two – Ja’Marr Chase (five) and Malik Nabers (one) – have even garnered Pro Bowl recognition. Chase’s two All-Pro selections also are the only such awards among those 13 wideouts.

malik naber — New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) looks at a ball that was meant for him as he gets ready to fall in the end zone, in the fourth quarter, Sunday, September 21, 2025. Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Nohl Williams (20) and Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) is shown on Nabers' sides. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kansas City would be wise to allow another team to take Tate, Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson. The Chiefs obviously need another wide receiver, but history tells them to wait until at least later in the first round to find him.