Dolphins 2022 Camp Preview: Wide Receivers
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The Miami Dolphins made a lot of changes this offseason hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and win a playoff game for the first time since 2000.
The team hired former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its head coach, acquired highly touted offensive players like offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill, and kept their entire 2021 starting defense together.
In order to prepare fans for a pivotal season, we’ve decided to break down each positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for each player, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.
We continue our series with the wide receivers.
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVER OUTLOOKS
Tyreek Hill
2021 Stats: 111 receptions, 1,239 receiving yards, 9 TDs, 11.2 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: The Dolphins traded five total draft picks this offseason and signed him to a $120 million contract extension, making him one of the team’s biggest investments in recent memory.
Hill’s outlook for this season is centered around his ability to open up a passing offense that has struggled to create explosive plays in recent seasons. He’s among the fastest wide receivers in the NFL and has proven to be an impressive route runner too.
He likely will be the team’s top receiving option in 2022, and if his numbers look close to what they did last year, it’s hard to imagine Miami’s passing offense not greatly improving.
Jaylen Waddle
2021 Stats: 104 receptions, 1,015 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 9.8 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Waddle is coming off an impressive rookie season which saw him break the NFL record for receptions by a rookie. This season, the hope is Waddle will draw less attention from opposing defenses since they will be focused on Hill.
Waddle ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but didn’t get a ton of chances to show off his deep speed last season. Head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense should provide Waddle with more opportunities to win deep on routes like crossers and posts, while Miami’s improved offensive line should give Tua Tagovailoa more time to deliver the ball down the field.
Waddle had a productive rookie season, but it’s not too far-fetched to believe he can improve some of his numbers this season with a better team around him.
Cedrick Wilson Jr.
2021 Stats: 45 receptions, 602 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 13.4 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Wilson could end up being one of Miami’s most underrated acquisitions this offseason. The former Dallas player is an ascending player capable of filling in at multiple spots on offense.
Wilson has increased his production every season since entering the NFL, and there is no reason to think that won’t continue in 2022. Wilson likely will get the bulk of the team’s slot reps, meaning he will benefit from Tagovailoa’s strength as a quick game passer.
Additionally, Wilson will benefit from defenses focusing on the speed of Waddle and Hill, allowing him to see a lot of single coverage this season.
Lynn Bowden Jr.
2020 Stats (missed 2021 with injury): 28 receptions, 211 receiving yards, 0 TDs, 7.5 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Bowden is coming off a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the entire 2021 season. With that said, Bowden showed promising flashes during the 2020 season and is a perfect fit for McDaniel’s offense, giving him a chance to see the field in 2022.
Bowden has experience playing both running back and wide receiver, which is a skill set McDaniel has coveted in the past. He’s an explosive runner in the open field and can win on manufactured touches.
The former Kentucky Wildcats star has an uphill battle to see significant snaps at wide receiver but could provide some value in the return game.
Preston Williams
2021 Stats: 6 receptions, 71 yards, 0 TDs, 11.8 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: After a promising start to his career as a UDFA in 2019, Williams has struggled to stay on the field due to injuries and healthy scratches. He played in just eight games last season and wasn’t very productive in those appearances.
Williams likely will have to fight for a 53-man roster spot during training camp. He is one of the few Dolphins receivers who excels in contested catch scenarios, which could earn him some reps in a pinch.
Erik Ezukanma
2021 College Stats (Texas Tech): 48 receptions, 705 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 138 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
2022 Outlook: The Dolphins selected Ezukanma in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft after a productive four years with the Red Raiders. Like Bowden, Ezukanma has experience playing both running back and wide receiver.
While his position versatility and ability to make defenders miss in the open field are strengths of his game, his film shows that his best trait is winning contested catches down the field. He has good functional strength and ball-tracking ability.
Ezukanma has a long way to go as a route runner, but his ability to win contested catches and block on the outside could earn reps as the rest of his game develops.
Trent Sherfield
2021 Stats: 9 receptions, 87 receiving yards, 1 TD, 9.7 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Sherfield is one of many former 49ers players to join the Dolphins this offseason. It’s unlikely Sherfield will make a big impact at receiver, given Miami’s depth at the position.
However, Sherfield should make the roster due to his versatility as a special teams player. He can cover kickoffs and punts effectively. He could help fill the role Mack Hollins left behind when he signed with the Raiders this offseason.
Cody Core
2019 Stats (did not play in 2020 or 2021): 3 receptions, 28 receiving yards, 9.3 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Core signed with the Dolphins practice squad in November but hasn’t played since the 2019 season after missing 2020 with an Achilles injury.
Core is probably on the outside looking in for a 53-man roster spot, so he’ll have to earn it by proving he can play special teams during training camp.
River Cracraft
2021 Stats: Played in six games but did not record any offensive stats
2022 Outlook: Cracraft is another former 49ers player joining the Dolphins this offseason. His role will be centered around his ability to produce on special teams. He has experience as both a punt and kick returner and recorded three tackles on kick coverage last season.
DeVonte Dedmon
2021 Stats (CFL): 11 receptions, 103 receiving yards, 9.4 yards per catch, 2 punt returns for touchdowns, 1 kickoff return for a touchdown
2022 Outlook: Based on Dedmon's resume and the Dolphins' depth at wide receiver. Dedmon's ticket to a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad figures to be as a kick returner.
Braylon Sanders
2021 College Stats (Ole Miss): 24 receptions, 549 receiving yards, 4 TDs, 22.9 yards per catch
2022 Outlook: Sanders signed with the Dolphins as a UDFA after the 2022 NFL draft. The Ole Miss product was known as a potent deep threat in the SEC, which is something that could earn him a roster spot with the Dolphins.
He will have to prove he’s valuable on special teams, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stick around on the team’s practice squad if he has a strong preseason.
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVER SUPERLATIVES
Breakout Candidate: Cedrick Wilson
Fastest: Tyreek Hill
Best Route Runner: Tyreek Hill
Most Underrated: Cedrick Wilson
Most Versatile: Jaylen Waddle
Best Red Zone Threat: Jaylen Waddle
KEY DOLPHINS QUESTIONS AT WR
How impactful can Tyreek Hill be?
Hill has turned himself into one of the best receivers in the NFL since entering the league in 2016, but he’s had the benefit of working with one of the league’s best quarterbacks (Patrick Mahomes) and one of the league’s best head coaches (Andy Reid).
Hill’s elite speed and route running will make him a productive player no matter what, but there are some questions about whether Tagovailoa and Miami can make the most of Hill’s deep-threat prowess.
The Dolphins ranked 27th in explosive pass play percentage last season, making any improvement welcomed. Hill can also impact the game by taking the defense’s eyes off of players like Waddle and Wilson. Additional attention sent Hill’s way also means the Dolphins’ running backs will get to run against lighter boxes making their jobs easier as well.
There’s no doubt Hill will make the Dolphins better, but the question of how much better he will make them will be key to Miami making the playoffs.
Will Jaylen Waddle be more of a deep threat this season?
Waddle owns the NFL record for most receptions in a rookie season, and he did finish third in receiving yards among rookies. However, coming out of college he was known as a big-play threat, which is something that didn’t come to fruition last season.
Because of Miami’s limitations on offense, Waddle was tasked with running a lot of short routes, which limited his ability to create big plays. His 9.8 yards per catch ranked 16th among qualified rookie receivers.
This season, Waddle should have a better opportunity to create down the field thanks to the improvements to the offensive line and defenses’ focus on Hill. If Waddle does unlock this part of his game during the 2022 season, Miami will have a strong argument for having the two best speed threats in the NFL.
Just how versatile will Miami’s receivers be this season?
One of the hallmarks of Miami’s receiver room is versatility. Whether it's where they lineup pre-snap or which level of the field they can win post-snap. Hill and Waddle are both proven threats on the outside and the slot, while being able to win at all three levels of the field.
Wilson mostly operates from the slot, but he’s proven to be an effective receiver in the quick and intermediate passing game.
Those three have all proven to be effective on manufactured touches (plays like screens and reverses) and that doesn’t include Bowden and Ezukanma, who also are effective on those types of plays.
Additionally, Hill, Waddle, Ezukanma and Bowden have some level of experience lining up in the backfield as running backs, which adds to their versatility.
Miami will have to strike a balance between using their wide receivers' versatility effectively while not getting too cute with creative play designs if they want to maximize their receivers’ talent.
Who will be Miami’s prototype “X” receiver this season?
Miami’s top three receivers — Hill, Waddle and Wilson — are short- and deep-area separators who win with route running and speed. Miami was lacking in that area the past two seasons, so it makes sense they focused on improving in those areas this offseason.
However, the team could still benefit from having at least one receiver who can win consistently with strength at the catch point. Tight end Mike Gesicki will help in this area, but this could also be a spot where rookie Erik Ezukanma sees some usage.
Ezukanma is 6-3, 220 pounds, making him one of Miami’s more imposing players on the outside. His college film shows he’s quite good at winning contested situations while also being savvy enough to win after the catch.
Receivers who can separate are vital to running a dynamic NFL offense but there is still a place for a big-bodied receiver who can win a jump ball.
