Dolphins 2026 Camp WR Preview: Who Will Step Up?

Breaking down the Miami Dolphins by position as head into training camp

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas (7) works during rookie minicamp at the Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Miami Dolphins are inching ever closer to the start of another training camp, one that's filled with mystery and intrigue as the result of the most complete overhaul the franchise has seen in many years.

The Dolphins will head into this training camp with a new general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan), new head coach (Jeff Hafley) and new quarterback (Malik Willis) since 2008 — though we could put an asterisk on 2019 when the Dolphins had Brian Flores as a first-year head coach, Ryan Fitzpatrick as a new quarterback and Chris Grier returning as GM but with more authority after the departure of Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum.

Regardless, it's a brand new day for the Miami Dolphins, and after the first steps of the offseason comes the real leadup to the 2026 regular season with training camp.

With a roster overloaded with young or unproven players, this should be one of the more interesting training camps in a while and we'll be previewing it with a series of position previews.

We continue with the wide receivers.

Wide Receiver Position Breakdown

On the roster: Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Theo Wease Jr., Tahj Washington, Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, Kevin Coleman Jr., Jalen Reagor, Terrace Marshall Jr., A.J. Henning, Donaven McCulley

2025 stats:
Washington: 17 games, 46 catches for 317 yards (6.9 average), 3 TD, 110 rushing yards
Wease: 3 games, 6 catches for 139 yards, 1 TD
Tolbert (with Dallas): 13 games, 18 catches for 203 yards (11.3 average), 1 TD
Atwell (with Rams): 10 games, 6 catches for 192 yards, 1 TD
Douglas (at Texas Tech): 14 games, 54 catches for 846 yards (15.7 average), 7 TD
Bell (at Louisville): 11 games, 72 catches for 917 yards (12.7 average), 6 TD

Projected depth chart: Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington, Caleb Douglas, Tutu Atwell, Chris Bell, Kevin Coleman Jr.

Offseason moves: Released Tyreek Hill ... released Nick Westbrook-Ikhine ... traded Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos ... signed Jalen Tolbert as a UFA from the Dallas Cowboys ... signed Tutu Atwell as a UFA from the L.A. Rams ... selected Caleb Douglas (3rd round), Chris Bell (3rd) and Kevin Coleman Jr. (5th) in the 2026 NFL draft ... signed Donaven McCulley as an undrafted rookie free agent

Training camp QBs one year ago: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Malik Washington, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Erik Ezukanma, Dee Eskridge, Tahj Washington, Tarik Black, Andrew Armstrong, Monaray Baldwin, A.J. Henning, Theo Wease Jr.

Position better or worse than at the end of the 2025 season: It's probably not a great revelation to suggest this is the biggest downgrade of any position on the roster, simply because replacing Waddle and Hill (though his uncertain health status has to be considered) is a monumental task. Tolbert and Atwell are worst are a wash for Dee Eskridge and Nick Westbrook-Ikine and probably an upgrade, and the potential of the three draft picks also has to be considered. But, again, you simpoly can't lose Hill and Waddle and expect the wide receiver corps to be as good.

THE THREE BIGGEST QUESTIONS AT WIDE RECEIVER

1. Is this group good enough?

They're not even close if we go by all those NFL position rankings done by various national media outlets in recent weeks, and there is no question this group is lacking in star power. With Hill and Waddle gone, what the Dolphins now have are middle-of-the-pack veterans along with some draft picks who have to show they can play in the NFL. The reality is the Dolphins wide receiver corps is going to keep taking shots until it does something to silence everyone. When will that happen? Will it happen? That's a big question that could go a long way toward determining the success of the offense in 2026.

2. Is there a legit No. 1 receiver in the whole group?

The sad reality is that right now it might not even be unfair to ask whether there's a legit number 2 in the group, let alone a legit number 1. Take Tolbert, for example. He has a solid season for the Cowboys in 2024 when injuries gave him opportunities, but Dallas clearly didn't consider him a true No. 2 receiver when they went out and traded for highly talented but volatile George Pickens last offseason. And Atwell was a clear number 3 behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, just like Malik Washington was a pure number 3 behind Hill and Waddle. The best hope for a No. 1 receiver to emerge has to come from the draft class, and we've maintained here that Chris Bell has the best chance of becoming that guy.

3. Which of the three draft picks should make the quickest impact?

As indicated in the previous question/answer, Bell clearly looks to have a higher ceiling than either Douglas or Coleman based on how he looked at Louisville. The one issue with Bell, of course, is that he's coming off a torn ACL sustained in November, he didn't practice in the spring and there's probably a better chance than not that he'll begin training camp on PUP, and that could possibly extend into the regular season. The bottom line there is it's difficult to project big things for a rookie wide receiver given Bell's circumstance, so the expectations for him for 2026 should be kept pretty low — even Jon-Eric Sullivan said it was a draft pick made with 2027 and beyond in mind. Of Douglas and Coleman, it was the latter who looked more impressive in the spring practices open to the media, and that was even before Douglas was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. So it very well could be that it'll be the lowest-drafted of the three wide receivers who has the quickest impact for the offense in 2026.