Behind the Dolphins' Continuing Search for Additional Receiving Options

Jaylen Waddle has stepped up in the absence of Tyreeek Hill, but the Miami Dolphins still are looking for bigger contributions from their wide receiver corps

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (18) makes a catch against New York Jets safety Isaiah Oliver (26) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. | Rich Storry-Imagn Images

Jaylen Waddle has stepped in as the top receiving option since Tyreek Hill’s season-ending knee injury, but there’s still a void in the Miami Dolphins pass-catching group. 

While Waddle has averaged six receptions for over 100 yards in the two games Hill has been out, there hasn’t been another pass catcher averaging more than 45 yards over that stretch. The Dolphins are averaging less than 200 passing yards per game and must find a reliable complementary option if they hope to improve their bottom-10 passing attack.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s 69.8 completion percentage ranks ninth through six weeks. However, the offense is struggling to move down the field, considering his 6.7 yards per pass thrown ranks 24th. 

Hill and Waddle each have four of the offense’s 12 receptions of at least 20 yards. It’ll take a village— and even that may not be enough — to come close to replicating the five-time All-Pro’s production. Still, the Dolphins are searching for an every-down No. 2 pass-catching option alongside Waddle.

Malik Washington’s Growing Role

Behind Waddle, no receiver has played more offensive snaps this season than Malik Washington, a 2024 sixth-round pick. He has 16 catches through six games compared to 26 in 14 games last season, but only three of his catches have gone for a first down. 

Washington is dynamic on special teams and has reliable hands as an underneath option, but he’s averaging just 4.3 yards per reception with a season-long of 11 yards. Playing just over 50 percent of his snaps in the slot, his average depth of target is 3.9 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Primarily targeted around or even behind the line of scrimmage, Washington is averaging 5.6 yards per reception with 89 yards after the catch, despite just 69 total receiving yards on the year. He has the physicality to break tackles, but his 5-foot-8 frame limits his effectiveness when targeted downfield. 

Washington is a key special teams player and has the potential to thrive as a slot receiver—having him on the field is a net positive. That said, he may not fit what the Dolphins need in a No. 2 option behind Waddle this season.

What About Darren Waller?

Tight end Darren Waller’s return to football has been one of the few bright spots for the offense. He’s scored four touchdowns in three games. 

A big-bodied target who can win downfield and in the red zone, he’s proven the ability to be a featured option, twice exceeding 110 targets and 1,100 receiving yards in a season. 

However, he hasn’t done that since 2020. On top of that, he’s still finding a rhythm after coming out of retirement and dealing with a hip injury early in training camp. He played a season-high 41 snaps last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, catching two of three targets for 12 yards and a touchdown.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but they look different when considering Julian Hill set a new career-high with 31 receiving yards while averaging over 10 yards on his three receptions. Alec Ingold, who entered the day with three receptions for 14 yards, caught just one pass, but it went for a season-long 22 yards. 

Waller’s skill set is forcing opposing defenses to play the Dolphins differently, which creates opportunities elsewhere on the field. He may be Miami’s best bet for a No. 2 receiving option, but it’s tricky. 

It’s hard to expect much after missing a year of football, but Waller genuinely looks like a difference-maker in Mike McDaniel’s offense. The challenge moving forward will be managing his usage so that he can remain healthy as an impact player over the next 11 games.

Managing De’Von Achane 

Speaking of managing usage, De’Von Achane is averaging 17.5 touches per game after 16.5 last season. That may not seem like a jump, but it is when considering that he ran the ball 203 times and added another 78 receptions across 17 games in 2024. 

Achane is arguably Miami’s best player and can score from anywhere on the field, averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 76 rushing attempts while also matching Waddle’s team-high 29 receptions. 

However, like Washington, Achane's targets are closer to the line of scrimmage and should almost be viewed as an extension of the rushing attack. He has just 195 receiving yards despite 236 yards after the catch. 

Achane is the engine of Miami’s offense, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be the team’s leading receiver and ball carrier. The emergence of a capable receiver would take some work off Achane’s plate and help limit the number of hits he takes over a 17-game season. 

The Other Options

Six players have appeared in every game but have yet to reach double-digit receptions: Julian Hill, Tanner Conner, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Alec Ingold, Ollie Gordon II, and Dee Eskridge. 

Conner has six receptions for 57 yards on the season. While Julian Hill has benefited as the No. 2 tight end behind Waller, Conner played just 23 snaps over the last three weeks after playing over 25 snaps in each of Miami’s first three games.

Westbrook-Ikhine fits as a field-stretching option—averaging more than 11 yards per reception in each of his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans. However, he may be better as a No. 3 option who can find open space in the defensive backfield.

Westbrook-Ikhine has never exceeded 40 receptions in a season. That said, the Dolphins are also using him a bit differently. His average depth of target is 4.6 yards, the first time in his career it’s been below 10.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Washington and NWI have earned more opportunities based on their off-the-ball contributions.

"I’m hoping that you’ll see more reasons why we involve Nick and Malik," McDaniel said. "I think those guys have done a lot of off-ball productive things that have earned them the right to be featured in situations as the primary. I need to get him the ball and get him involved. Our strength is having a nucleus of skill that can all do various things and do it well. His physicality and what he can do in the run game people have seen, but with the ball in his hands, I think we saw a little taste of that in the preseason game against Chicago. Him and Malik have been phenomenal and I’m trying to get those guys the ball and involved more, as well as keeping everybody else at the top of their game. So important piece to our offense and like we said before, it wasn’t going to be one person that was going to replace a one-of-one, but we feel very good about the collection of players that can contribute and the sum of the parts we really feel like give us the chance to do what we want to do offensively.”

As physical backs, neither Ingold nor Gordon fit what the Dolphins need in a complementary pass catcher. Eskridge, a lightning-quick former second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks, could be someone to watch moving forward.

He’s been targeted just once since Week 2, but the 12 offensive snaps he played against the Chargers are the most since playing 13 on opening day against the Indianapolis Colts. He’s been targeted only four times, but his average depth is 11 yards downfield. 

Eskridge has never been targeted more than 20 times in a season and has primarily been a special teams player throughout his five-year career. Now in his second season with the Dolphins, he’ll have more opportunities to prove he can handle a larger workload.