How Malik Washington Hopes Deep Thoughts Make Him Better Receiver

One of the most competitive positions to determine the starters is at wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, and Malik Washington is making a case to be the priority at the position.

Now entering his third year in the NFL, the 2024 sixth-round pick is doubling down on being the do-it-all receiver for Miami, breaking away from just being known as their occasional pass-catcher and kick returner.

Washington spoke to the media after practice Thursday and discussed how training camp is going so far, including what he wants to achieve in 2026. With all the talent that Miami lost at the position, the assessments of the wide receiver corps haven't been kind. Still, the road is open for Washington to step in and make himself the main target for Malik Willis.

Building On A Solid Start

Malik is excited about the chance of being more closely tied to the passing game for Miami. He'll look to build on the 317 receiving yards (and three receiving touchdowns) he earned in 2025, the fourth-most yards by a pass-catcher behind Greg Dulcich, De'Von Achane, and Jaylen Waddle.

"To be able to go down the field and be more involved in the pass game this year and try to take that step in my journey, I think that's huge, and I think it'll be huge for the team," said Washington. "It's opportunity-based. So sometimes in one practice I might not get that opportunity; one practice I might get that, but I think it'll continue to help me, my game and our team as a whole."

In the presence of guys like Waddle, Washington was never going to be the main receiver in 2025. However, he made a name for himself on special teams, recording 1,225 combined kick and punt-return yards, along with a punt return touchdown.

The Talent Needed To Succeed

Washington isn't slowing down with wanting to be the main returner. Instead, he feels he has what it takes to be the guy Miami needs for any formation, any scheme, any circumstance.

"I think that's something I want to improve: becoming a true all-around receiver. I don't want to be known as the sweep guy or the special teams guy. I want to be known as a football player. So I think elevating that piece of my game, elevating my route running, elevating getting downfield, and those downfield catches will be huge for me."

Washington is a fast player, having recorded a 4.47. He has demonstrated his ability to reach top speed quickly when given enough open grass during kick returns - an explosive trait he can still rely on as a receiver if he's able to break coverage and go downfield.

When the ball was thrown his way on short-yardage plays, he did show the ability to juke out the first defender he met multiple times. That leaves route-running and making catches. In 2025, he caught 46 of his 65 targets - about 70 percent. But between him, Dulcich, and Waddle, Washington was the only one who never fumbled the ball.

Gelling With Those Around Him

Conveniently, ball security is one of the techniques that Miami's new wide receivers coach, Tyke Tolbert, has insisted on to Washington.

"No matter how fast you are, technique wins," said Washington. "So for us, we're working a lot of time individually on just technique, and we're getting in the film room, and we'll talk about technique. We'll talk about aggression, toughness in the blocking game, ball security, all of those things."

In addition to connecting with Tolbert as a mentor, Washington has been trying to connect with Malik Willis both on and off the field. He and other receivers worked with Willis during his off-season throwing sessions in Jacksonville.

"We had some spotting sessions, and we ran some routes," said Washington. "We went to a gym, and we worked out with Malik's trainers. We all just bonded together. We grabbed some lunch after that. We spent some time together, maybe grabbed dinner. The World Cup was going on, so we spent a lot of time just watching some soccer, like just getting closer and closer as a group."

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