Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins selected Miami pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft Thursday.

The 21-year-old earned second-team All-American and All-ACC honors, recording 45 total tackles and 8.0 sacks. He blossomed with the Hurricanes after spending two disappointing seasons at UCLA before being forced into a medical retirement. He sat out most of 2018 and the entire 2019 season before returning to the field in 2020. 

Here's a look at how the Dolphins' defensive depth chart breaks down now.

Miami Dolphins Depth Chart

LDE: Christian Wilkins, Jason Strowbridge, Nick Coe

NT: Raekwon Davis, Adam Butler, John Jenkins, Benito Jones

RDE: Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Sieler, Jonathan Ledbetter, Tyshun Render

WLB: Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Brennan Scarlett

LB: Jerome Baker, Duke Riley, Vince Biegel

LB: Benardrick McKinney, Calvin Munson, Elandon Roberts

SLB: Sam Eguavoen, Kylan Johnson

CB: Byron Jones, Nik Needham, Jamal Perry, Terrell Bonds

CB: Xavien Howard, Noah Igbinoghene, Tino Ellis

FS: Bobby McCain, Brandon Jones

SS: Eric Rowe, Clayton Fejedelem, Nate Holley, Brian Cole

Depth chart info provided by Ourlads and Over the Cap.

Phillips said last October:

"It's surreal to be back. A year and a half ago, when I was living by myself in an apartment in L.A. going to a junior college taking music production classes, I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to do what I'm doing again. Being here, thinking about the time I've spent and how hard it's been, it means a lot for me to be back on the field again. It drives my game, it drives my passion.

"It's just the best feeling to be able to do this again."

The former 5-star prospect's comeback story could mean the best is yet to come for a player with every physical gift in the toolbox.

Listed at 6'5" and 266 pounds, Phillips has elite size and fast-twitch skills off the edge. He's more gifted as a pass-rusher than as an all-around member of the front seven, but his time away from the game helped him redevelop a passion that should make him a quick learner.

Miami finished tied for 10th in the NFL last season with 41 sacks, and Phillips should help improve that mark even more by stepping right in and earn playing time as a rookie. Even if he just works in as a situational pass-rusher early in his career, Phillips should make an immediate impact.

HEIGHT: 6'5 ½"

WEIGHT: 260

POSITIVES

—Has rare length, in the mold of Chandler Jones.

—Hand placement is advanced for a college pass-rusher.

—Understands how to use a long arm to give himself an even bigger reach and drive linemen back inside with his inside arm.

—Beyond his outside pass-rushing, he understands how to use an inside swim move as a counter.

—Quality tackler, which should help him as a 3-4 outside linebacker prospect.

—Has strong, heavy hands that help him in the run game.

   

NEGATIVES

—Explosion is not a positive to his game, either in a two-point or three-point stance.

—His foot speed is not above average for a pass-rushing prospect in the top-100.

—If he does play 3-4 outside linebacker, he is not going to bring much more to the table than as a spot-dropper in coverage.

—Length can work against him, as he plays too high at times.

   

2020 STATISTICS

45 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections

NOTES

—A consensus five-star California prep, Phillips originally enrolled at UCLA, where he played 10 games before medically retiring in 2018 and then later transferred to Miami.

—At UCLA, a moped accident caused injuries to both ankles and a wrist, on top of three reported concussions.

OVERALL

Two years ago, it looked like Jaelan Phillips’ once promising football career was over. That will weigh on the minds of whoever selects him on draft day, potentially causing him to fall lower than where his talent should be selected. On the field, in his one real season of full playing time, Phillips dominated for the Miami Hurricanes behind his rare length and strong hands, a path to success that has produced Pro Bowlers like Chandler Jones. His overall athleticism is not average for an NFL starting pass-rusher in 2021, though, meaning Phillips must constantly develop his game as a technician. Should the former five-star recruit stay healthy, his pass-rushing prowess will not come from speed, but savvy moves like euro-step pass-rushing and basing his game off of his length. That is not the easiest way to win on the edge in the NFL, but few prospects have been better suited to succeed with that game plan—and few have been forced into that game plan based on their athleticism.

GRADE: 7.7 (2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 26/300

POSITION RANK: EDGE2

PRO COMPARISON: (Syracuse) Chandler Jones

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda

The Miami Dolphins just got a lot faster at wide receiver after drafting Alabama's Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

But what will your fantasy team look like if you pick up Waddle this year? 

Drafting rookie wideouts is always risky, and Waddle in particular is tough to project. On the one hand, he's a blur. The NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranked him as the fifth-best player in the 2021 NFL draft in late March, calling him "a slightly undersized receiver with extraordinary speed and playmaking ability."

He noted that Waddle's "acceleration in his release is elite" and "destroys the cushions he receives from defenders in a hiccup and can find a second and third gear once the ball is in the air." While Jeremiah doesn't believe Waddle is as strong as Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill, he believes Waddle is "capable of having the same impact in the NFL."

High praise, indeed. 

Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner added that Waddle is the "best deep threat" among the 2021 rookie wide receivers. 

The question with Waddle is why that talent and ability didn't lead to greater overall production at Alabama. In three years with the Crimson Tide he registered 106 catches for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns across 34 contests. In a 16-game season, those numbers translate to 49 receptions for 940 yards and eight touchdowns.

Those are very solid numbers. They aren't spectacular, however. 

Granted, Waddle played with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith during his time with the Crimson Tide. There was plenty of competition for targets, and Waddle regularly saw a respectable portion of them. But it's fair to question if there will be an adjustment period for Waddle at the next level given his size and reliance on burst plays down the field. Will he have the overall route tree to put up major numbers as a rookie?

Hill, as a rookie in 2016, caught just 61 passes for 593 yards and six scores, after all. Nobody's breaking the bank at a fantasy draft for that rate of return. And the only rookie wide receiver last year to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards was Justin Jefferson.

Even if Waddle becomes the next Hill, it's likely he won't be putting up anywhere close to Hill's current level of production as a rookie. Keep that in mind if you target him come the middle rounds. In keeper and dynasty leagues, he has far more value. 

Reuniting with Tua Tagovailoa should help ease his transition at the NFL level somewhat. The Dolphins aren't exactly brimming with playmakers on the outside, either. Waddle should see solid targets. But keep your expectations realistic. Think WR4 production, with WR3 upside. 

HEIGHT: 5'9 ½"

WEIGHT: 180

POSITIVES

— Very good balance and play strength for size. Competitive and consistently fights through contact to maintain course on his route.

— Excellent athlete. Can pull away from defenders on routes and is able to attack vertically within the timeframe of the play. Top-tier acceleration lets him get on to CB’s toes in a hurry. Consistently pulls away from defenders on intermediate routes like Overs and Sails, no

— Above-average overall hands and will flash good catching range while on the move. Flashes his body control and acceleration before and after the catch.

— Extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands. Consistently plays with excellent body control and lateral quickness to make defenders miss in small spaces. He’s more than just a gadget player, but coordinators will have fun drawing up special packages for him. He has very good feel for space and blocking, which makes him a true weapon from the backfield and on Jet sweeps but also in the screen game.

— Has good feel for his route landmarks on routes he was asked to run. Looks like he is aware of getting his depth and doesn’t get antsy trying to get open. Will throttle down in space and makes himself friendly to the QB.

— Overall very tough and competitive player. Doesn’t shy away from contact and is willing to scrap with defenders.

— Outstanding return ability on both kickoff return and punt return.

NEGATIVES

— Below-average size. Has to be strong because bigger CBs will attempt to control him releasing off the line of scrimmage.

— Older for his class. May not have a ton of room for improvement.

— Most of his routes were intermediate and vertical and will need to continue to add and polish his route tree. Was given a lot of free releases because the offense he played in utilized motion and aligned him in the slot. Will need to add strength and technique to consistently win vs. press and on the outside.

— Can have some double-catches with throws at his body.

2020 STATISTICS

6 G, 28 rec., 591 yards, 21.1 avg., 4 TD

NOTES

— Suffered high ankle sprain that caused him to miss the second half of 2020 season.

OVERALL

Jaylen Waddle is a dynamic WR who lined up both inside and outside at Alabama. Waddle is an excellent athlete who has true game-breaking speed to take the top off the defense or take any throw the distance. He consistently flashes his change-of-direction ability and top-tier acceleration both with the ball in his hands and when working over the middle on intermediate routes—he can pull away from defenders and create separation with his rare speed, or immediately hit the brakes and settle into space. He has solid hands and is comfortable catching throws on the move, but shorter throws that are at his body will cuff him at times.

Waddle was put in advantageous positions quite a bit in college, either working from the slot or with pre-snap motion, but he flashed good feel on his routes and for finding space in zones. He will need to continue to refine his route tree and details, especially on shorter routes when working from the slot and operating vs. press on the outside, where his below-average size and average play strength crops up. Waddle’s lack of size, length, polish and recent injury history will be some causes for concern, and he would fit best with a team that might already have another bonafide receiver as opposed to stepping in right away as a No. 1 option for a team.

Waddle projects as a Day 1 weapon for NFL offenses because of his explosive play ability on deep and intermediate routes and gadget plays to go along with his excellent returner ability. He would benefit if he can play in an offense that allows him to operate from the slot or on outside vertical-only concepts—which will allow him to work in space and doesn’t ask him to win on the outside right away, also enabling him to develop more consistency on his releases and routes and also add to his play strength. There is real risk to Waddle because of his size, age and lack of technique, but his upside could see him become one of the most explosive and dynamic players in the NFL.

GRADE: 8.4/10 (Immediate NFL starter, late 1st round)

OVERALL RANK: 17/300

POSITION RANK: WR4

PRO COMPARISON: Raghib "Rocket" Ismail 

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice

Jaylen Waddle's professional career will begin in Miami. 

The wideout, whose junior year was nearly lost to a right ankle injury before he returned to help Alabama win the national title over Ohio State, was drafted by the Dolphins with the No. 6 pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. 

Waddle was sometimes hidden on a Crimson Tide depth chart that included Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, but by the time he went down with an ankle injury after four games, he had neared his 2019 yardage total, putting him on pace for a season that would have far surpassed his first two years in Alabama.

After making an appearance in the national title game, Waddle ended 2020 with 591 yards and four touchdowns. A year earlier, he posted 560 yards and six scores on 33 receptions. 

His best outings came as a freshman in 2018, when he appeared in 15 games to tack on 848 yards and seven touchdowns on 45 receptions, all career-highs. 

With pure speed and skill, Waddle would have been an asset to any time that drafted him. But here's how he'll fit in with the Dolphins: 

QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Jacoby Brissett, Jake Rudock

RB: Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown, Salvon Ahmed, Patrick Laird, Jordan Scarlett

WR 1: Will Fuller V, Isaiah Ford, Malcolm Perry

WR 2: DeVante Parker, Lynn Bowden Jr., Jakeem Grant

WR 3: Jaylen Waddle, Preston Williams

TE: Durham Smythe, Mike Gesicki, Adam Shaheen, Carter Cethan, Chris Myarick

LT: Austin Jackson, Jesse Davis

LG: Solomon Kindley, Michael Deiter

C: Matt Skura, Tyler Gauthier, Tom Cameron

RG: Robert Hunt, Adam Pankey

RT: D.J. Fluker, Jonathan Hubbard

The Dolphins got some major reinforcements for Tagovailoa this offseason when they acquired Fuller.

But there's something to be said for the connection that already exists between Waddle and his former quarterback, especially since it was Tagovailoa who commanded the offense when Waddle had his best season as a freshman.

Having made multiple trades leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins are reportedly still open for business leading up to the start of the first round Thursday night.

Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Dolphins are "throwing up signals" that they would like to move down. 

The Dolphins began draft season with the Nos. 3 and 18 picks. They made two blockbuster deals within minutes of each other on March 26, starting with trading the third pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 12th pick this year, first- and third-round picks in 2022 and a first-round pick in 2023. 

Miami then packaged the No. 12 pick, a 2021 fourth-round pick and a 2022 first-rounder in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles for the Nos. 6 and 156 picks this year. 

The Dolphins also own the 18th pick. They have been frequently linked to wide receivers with their top choice.

ESPN's Todd McShay projects Miami to select Alabama's Jaylen Waddle at No. 6. This is a deep class for receivers, giving general manager Chris Grier the ability to move down and get more picks while still getting a quality pass-catcher in Round 1. 

Coming off a strong 10-6 record in 2020, the Dolphins are trending in the right direction. If they can add at least one impact rookie from their two first-round picks this year, they could challenge the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC East. 

The Miami Dolphins appear interested in getting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa some new toys on offense with the No. 6 overall pick in Thursday's NFL draft.

Jaylen Waddle may be their preferred wideout over Ja'Marr Chase. 

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Dolphins are more likely to select Waddle out of Alabama over LSU's Chase. B/R's own NFL Scouting Department ranks Waddle the No. 18 overall prospect in the draft and the No. 4 receiver behind DeVonta Smith, Rashod Bateman and Chase. 

The NFL is deep into "silly season", when teams do their best to misdirect the competition from their true intentions, so just about every draft rumor deserves a fair amount of scrutiny. Yet there's little question the Dolphins would love to add some talent at receiver. 

Miami's wideout corps was the 12th-worst in the league last year (246.1 yards per game) and posted the 10th-fewest touchdowns (24). 

If the Dolphins hang onto the No. 6 pick, they should have their pick of just about any wideout aside from Smith—who B/R projects as the No. 5 pick. 

Waddle posted 591 yards and four touchdowns in five games for Alabama last season despite suffering a broken right ankle in the first game of the season. It certainly doesn't hurt his case that Waddle and Tagovailoa developed a solid rapport on the field at Alabama. 

In 2018, Tagovailoa completed 45 passes to Waddle for 848 yards and seven scores when the wideout was a freshman. 

Now they could be reuniting in the NFL if the Dolphins indeed feel confident he's their guy at No. 6. 

After trading one offensive lineman in Ereck Flowers, the Miami Dolphins can target another with the No. 6 pick of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday. 

According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, offensive tackle Penei Sewell is a first-round "possibility" for the Dolphins.

This comes after they reportedly dealt left guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team in a swap involving late-round picks, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, on Tuesday. Flowers started 14 games for Miami last season after signing a three-year, $30 million contract in the offseason, so his departure could force some major reshuffling on the offensive line.

Beasley reported Miami plans to move Robert Hunt from right tackle to right guard, while Travis Wingfield of the team's official site noted Solomon Kindley as an option to fill in at left guard:

The Dolphins still have veteran D.J. Fluker to fill in at right tackle, or they could find someone in free agency, but Sewell could be another strong option in the draft.

Before opting out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sewell was considered one of the top players in college football. He won the Outland Trophy as a sophomore at Oregon in 2019 while being named a first-team All-American and the Pac-12 co-Offensive Player of the Year.

He didn't allow a sack during the 2019 campaign and only allowed seven pressures in over 900 snaps, per his school's site.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department lists Sewell as the No. 4 overall player in the class and top offensive lineman.

While the Dolphins could also target a pass-catcher to help young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Kyle Pitts, Ja'Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith could all be available), Sewell would help solidify the offensive line for years as a bookend opposite Austin Jackson.

The Miami Dolphins have been busy moving their draft picks around this offseason, but general manager Chris Grier said he doesn't anticipate any more changes with their first-round selection.

"When we made our move, we had targeted a number of players we like," he said, per Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We're very comfortable where we are, but we'll always evaluate it. We feel good where we are and we won't have any regrets."

The Dolphins traded their No. 3 overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 12th pick and three other selections and then swapped the No. 12 pick and two other selections to the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 6 selection and a fifth-round pick this year. 

In a quarterback-heavy draft class, the Dolphins showed confidence in Tua Tagovailoa after letting Ryan Fitzpatrick walk in free agency and passing on drafting in the top three. 

Grier's comments come after a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who said Monday that the team has received interest from other franchises looking to move up to the No. 6 selection. While Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance are expected to be drafted early, the Dolphins' top pick could become especially coveted if one of those players happens to fall. 

Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel said any new trade is unlikely to happen until draft night. 

In addition to the No. 6 pick, the Dolphins own the No. 18 slot and then round out their draft class with two second-round selections, a third-rounder, a fifth-rounder and a pair of picks in the seventh round.