Dolphins 2022 Review: WR Jaylen Waddle
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With the Miami Dolphins’ season coming to an end after a loss to the division rival Bills in the wild-card playoff round, it's time to review the seasons of some of the team’s best players.
This series will include each player’s stats, best game, worst game, positives, negatives and outlook for the offseason.
Jaylen Waddle, Wide Receiver
Stats: 1,356 receiving yards, 75 catches, 8 receiving touchdowns, 18.1 yards per reception
Best Game: 42-38 Win vs. Baltimore Ravens
Waddle was a monster in this game from start to finish. Yes, Tyreek Hill caught two long touchdowns, but Waddle had two of his own. The first was Miami’s first score of the day and the second was the game-winner in a 21-point comeback.
Waddle was targeted 19 times against the Ravens, and he finished with a season-high 11 catches and 171 yards receiving.
His film was just as good as the stats would indicate too. He was simply unrecoverable for a Ravens secondary with some talented players.
Worst Game: 40-17 Loss vs. Jets
Selecting this was difficult because of how good Waddle’s season was good. The 49ers game and Chargers game were both in contention here, but he only played 52 percent of the team’s snaps against the 49ers, and he finished with 23 yards against the Jets compared to 31 against the Chargers.
Skylar Thompson was the quarterback for that Jets game, but Waddle catching just three passes for 23 yards is disappointing regardless of who is throwing the ball.
Waddle’s film wasn’t horrible in this game, but the Jets cornerback duo of Ahmad Gardner and D.J. Reed did make his life difficult.
The Minnesota game also deserves mention for his late-game fumble and also bobbling a pass that turned into an interception late in the first half.
Positive Takeaways
Everyone already knew Waddle was a good NFL receiver coming into the season. He had a record-breaking rookie season, and he finished with more than 1,000 receiving yards.
However, Waddle upped the ante in 2022 by finishing with the third-most receiving yards in Dolphins history.
The big question was whether he could become the deep threat he was at Alabama with the Dolphins. Well, Waddle’s yards per reception went up from 9.8 to 18.1, which led the entire NFL.
A lot of that should be credited to Miami’s scheme overhaul under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, but Waddle still had to make the catches. At the end of the day, it’s proof Waddle’s explosiveness can be utilized effectively in Miami’s offense.
It’s also worth noting Waddle’s yardage increased by 341 yards despite him making 29 fewer catches than he did last season, and he played four games with some combination of Teddy Bridgewater and Thompson at quarterback.
The former sixth overall pick is well on his way to being considered one of the NFL’s best and most consistent wide receivers.
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Negative Takeaways
The only real negative from Waddle’s season was him finishing tied for seventh in the NFL in drops with seven.
There are some rare occasions on film when Waddle lets the ball into his body instead of attacking it with his hands, which allows cornerbacks to make a play on the ball.
If Waddle can get that cleaned up next season, there really isn’t a hole in his game.
Offseason Outlook
There isn’t a ton of uncertainty in Waddle’s outlook. He’s eligible for a contract extension after next season, but the Dolphins likely will have to pay him top market value when he does become eligible following the 2023 season.
Entering next season, Waddle will have sky-high expectations given how much his numbers improved from 2021 to 2022.
It might be difficult for him to eclipse those numbers in 2023 but better health at the quarterback position could a long way to him getting even better.
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