Combine Wide Receivers the Dolphins Should Monitor
The NFL’s annual scouting combine begins Monday, Feb. 26, allowing teams to evaluate each 2024 NFL draft prospect’s athletics abilities in on-field drills, interview them and put them through a medical check-up.
This series will provide fans with players to watch and monitor at each of the Miami Dolphins’ most significant positions of need, continuing with the wide receivers.
Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill might be the NFL’s best receiving duo, but the depth behind them isn’t great. That lack of depth hurt the Dolphins this past season, as it was clear the offense didn’t operate efficiently when Hill and Waddle were off the field.
The good news for Miami is the 2024 wide receiver class is excellent, and many of the top names will be at the combine next week.
The tricky part is whether the Dolphins will continue investing in short, speed threats or try adding someone with a more diverse skill set.
We’ll cover a few options in both camps for this preview.
NFL Combine Wide Receivers to Watch
X-Receivers
Brian Thomas Jr., LSU, 6-4, 205
Thomas gets mocked to the Dolphins quite a bit by the national media. That’s likely because he straddles the line between being an outside and speed receiving threat.
He’s got the size to win with physicality on the outside. He’s an excellent ball tracker and capable of winning at the catch point through contact. Those are things Miami is largely missing.
However, Thomas blends that with impressive straight-line speed for his size. He should be more than capable of blowing the top off NFL defenses each week. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel loves speed, and he wouldn’t need to sacrifice any by drafting Thomas.
All of that is great, but the Dolphins would have to spend a first-round pick on the LSU product. He’s widely considered the fourth-best receiver in the class, and three are expected to come off the board within the first 12 to 15 picks.
Thomas should test quite well next week, so his stock could rise even more. Still, he feels like the best of both worlds if Miami views receiver as a priority.
Keon Coleman, Florida State, 6-4, 215
Trying to decipher where Coleman gets drafted feels impossible at this point. One thing is for sure: His skill set is much different from what the Dolphins usually gravitate toward.
Coleman’s best reps are winning contested catches down the field. He’s got long arms, good size, and excellent body control. All of that enables him to come down with some truly impressive catches at all three levels of the field.
He moves well relative to his size, but he won’t separate against man coverage consistently. Coleman isn’t a great route runner and is not overly quick.
Those things could cause some problems for the Dolphins’ timing-based offense. However, Coleman could give the Dolphins a change-up on offense, which they need against better teams and defenses.
Adonai Mitchell, Texas, 6-4, 196
Mitchell falls somewhere between Thomas and Coleman. He is fast like Thomas, and he’s tall like Coleman. That said, Mitchell doesn't quite reach those other guys’ ceilings in speed and contested catch ability.
There is one crucial area Mitchell has them both beat, though — route running. Mitchell’s ability to get in and out of his breaks at 6-4 is truly impressive. He can win on vertical and in-breaking concepts, the latter of which is vital for Miami’s offense.
Mitchell should test well at the combine, and he has no injury concerns to note. His problems are mostly centered around a lack of consistency on tape. Mitchell goes through weird stretches where he’s not quite on his game.
The Texas product would offer the Dolphins the size they’re missing while providing them with another skilled athlete in the middle of the field.
Slot/Speed Receivers
Xavier Worthy, Texas, 6-1, 172
Worthy was the other half of Texas’ dynamic receiving duo from last season. Worthy looks and plays much closer to what the Dolphins like under McDaniel.
He’s a potent deep threat with blazing speed. He’s expected to run in the 4.30 range in the 40-yard dash next week, and that speed more than shows up on tape.
What makes Worthy truly appealing to Miami is his route running on non-vertical concepts. He can separate from cornerbacks on in-breaking routes quite well. Add in his speed, and he’s the type of receiver who could win in the Dolphins’ offense.
The top concern for Worthy is his weight. He’s listed at 172 despite being 6-1. For reference, the Texans drafted Tank Dell last season at 165 pounds, but he was 5-8 at the combine.
Worthy is at least 3 to 4 inches bigger than Dell but weighs just 7 more pounds. Pay attention to Worthy’s weigh-in. His stock might rise if he puts on some weight and still runs well.
Ladd McConkey, Georgia, 6-0, 185
Some players are perfect for specific teams, and McConkey is an ideal fit for the Dolphins. He’s not quite an elite speed threat like Worthy, but he’s got enough speed to win downfield and with the ball in his hands.
What makes McConkey so perfect for Miami is his football IQ. McConkey — perhaps better than any receiver in the class besides Marvin Harrison Jr. — understands how to manipulate space in the middle of the field to uncover.
That’s essentially the core tenant of the Dolphins’ offense because it’s where Tua Tagovailoa thrives as a passer. McConkey is also an excellent route runner with a lot of experience working different concepts.
The question is whether McConkey is fast enough in a straight line to land on the Dolphins’ radar. Keep an eye on his 40-yard dash and short shuttle times. If he’s above average in those drills, he’d make a lot of sense for Miami in round two.
Roman Wilson, Michigan, 6-0, 192
Wilson is incredibly similar to Worthy. He’s a shorter, speed threat who can run solid routes at all three levels of the field. What separates Wilson from other deep threats is his toughness in the middle of the field.
At Michigan last season, Wilson took some big hits in the middle of the field and still finished his catches. In his defense, he’s listed 20 pounds bigger than Worthy, so it makes sense he holds up better against contact.
For the Dolphins, Wilson profiles more as a pure slot. He would operate like Braxton Berrios did this past season. Wilson has a little more upside than someone like Berrios, and he should go a little later than Worthy and McConkey.
Anthony Gould, Oregon State, 5-8, 172
So far, all the players we’ve discussed are projected to go inside or just outside the top 50 by most national draft analysts. Gould should go outside the top 100 in April, but he’s got the one trump card trait the Dolphins love — speed.
Gould might run the fastest time among wide receivers at the combine. He ran track in high school and won multiple state championships. At Oregon State, Gould was a prolific returner because of that speed. In 2022, he had 256 punt return yards and two touchdowns.
Gould’s play style feels like a perfect fit for the Dolphins’ offense, but his kick return ability might be where he sees the field early in his career. He’s not quite a good enough route runner to play a lot of snaps in his rookie season.
Basically, Gould is a good option on Day 3. He won’t be a high-volume producer, but the Dolphins have an expensive roster. Hitting on contributors that late in the draft is nothing to sneer at.
