How Jaylen Waddle Became a No-Doubt WR1 for Dolphins

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has operated mostly as a sidekick in recent years. When the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill ahead of the 2022 season, Waddle quickly became the offense’s second option.

That’s not to say he still wasn’t effective. He went over 1,000 yards in 2022 and 2023, but when the national conversation around the Dolphins’ “elite” receivers came up, it was mostly focused on Hill.

Well, Waddle is getting a chance to prove himself in 2025. Hill suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 against the New York Jets, and since then, Waddle has emerged as one of the league’s most efficient targets. It’s hardly surprising, but it’s still impressive.

Let’s take a look at where Waddle is doing the most damage, where he’s improved, and what area he can still make more of an impact.

Waddle’s Efficiency, Deep Ball Prowess

By far the most impressive part of Waddle’s run without Hill is how reliable he’s been for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Since Week 5, Waddle has caught 29 of 43 targets, and if you remove the team’s game against Cleveland, he’s caught 28 of 39 targets.

That latter number is roughly a 72 percent completion percentage on Waddle’s targets, which is pretty good. Waddle’s efficiency also comes through in his yards per route run.

He ranks third in the NFL this season in yards per route run without Hill on the field, trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua. That means when Waddle runs a route, he’s winning and making the most of his touches.

His routes aren’t just a bunch of screens or slant routes, either. Waddle has become one of the best deep threats in the sport this season. He’s caught six of his 12 targets of at least 20 yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.

That ranks 12th in the league, but Waddle’s three touchdown catches tie him for fourth.

You’d also be right to question just how many of those throws past 20 yards are true “deep” passes. After all, the Dolphins do like to run a lot of skinny posts near the 20-yard mark.

Well, don’t worry because Waddle’s average depth of target on receptions past 20 yards is actually 33.5. Among qualified receivers, Waddle sits behind just Alec Pierce in 20-yard receptions, while maintaining an average depth of target of more than 33.

He’s also done a good job of anchoring the team’s passing game on third downs. Miami’s overall third-down numbers have dipped in Hill’s absence, which makes sense.

He was an elite at finding small gaps in the defense, and his timing with Tua Tagovailoa was unmatched, but Waddle has done a nice job for the most part. He’s been targeted 10 times on third down and has hauled in seven passes with six conversions.

A 60% conversion rate on his third-down targets is pretty solid, even if the team’s overall numbers have taken quite a dip. Miami still misses Hill in these spots, but Waddle is more than capable.

If this isn’t the profile of an elite receiving threat, we don’t know what is. Waddle is impacting the game consistently and generating a ton of explosives.

What’s Behind Waddle’s Improvement?

Besides getting more chances with Hill sidelined, Waddle has made some improvements to his game this season.

By far the biggest one is cutting down on drops. This season, Waddle has just one dropped pass, according to PFF. This has been an issue for him in previous seasons.

His previous career low in drops was six last season, and that was mostly due to a lack of targets, not an improvement in his catch technique. He had seven drops in 2023 and nine in each of his first two seasons (2022, 2021).

Some of those drops were the product of Waddle not attacking the ball with his hands or mistiming his jumps when he needed to make a play at the catch point.

That leads into his second-biggest improvement: winning contested catches. Waddle has caught 10 of 16 contested catch attempts this season, ranking fifth among qualified receivers.

If you remove Stefon Diggs and Zay Flowers, who have less than 10 contested targets this season, then Waddle’s 62.5% is third behind JSN and Nacua.

It’s a small sample size (10 games), but this was truly one of the last parts missing from Waddle’s receiving profile.

The Dolphins were right not to trade Waddle at the deadline. Is he in the Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson tier of receivers? No, but he’s not far off, and it’s clear he’s more than capable of being a good offense’s top option.

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