Caleb Douglas is a name that Miami Dolphins fans may become familiar with quite quickly.
Miami doesn’t have a lot of proven players in its wide receiver room. In fact, a couple of rookies could be the two X-factors to whether or not new QB Malik Willis can put together a strong season.
And as the summer has gone on, the buzz around Douglas has continued to get better and better. He’s got a lot of people excited about what he can do.
That includes ESPN’s NFL insider Dan Graziano, who included Douglas in his new bold predictions article that came out on Wednesday.
Caleb Douglas Bold Prediction
This is what Graziano predicted about Douglas:
“Don’t be surprised if… wideout Caleb Douglas emerges as the star of the Dolphins‘ receiving corps.”
To be fair, someone has to emerge, and right now, there isn’t much by way of an obvious front-runner.
After a strong training camp, Douglas has a case to be one of the top dogs.
“The third-round rookie out of Texas Tech has been a consistent performer during training camp, and there is nothing but opportunity on Miami’s depth chart at WR,” Graziano writes. “The Dolphins traded top wideout Jaylen Waddle, so new quarterback Malik Willis (A) needs someone to throw to and (B) has had time to get used to targeting Douglas.”
Douglas began his college career at Florida but finished it with two strong seasons at Texas Tech.
In 2024, Douglas had 60 catches for 877 yards and six touchdowns.
In 2025, he went for 54 grabs, 846 yards and seven more TDs.
Douglas is an impressive 6-foot-4 target who could be a trustworthy option for Willis if the preseason hype can carry into the regular season.
What About Chris Bell?
Bell tore his ACL late in last college season for Louisville, but that didn’t stop the Dolphins from also drafting him in the third round along with Douglas.
There’s a good chance Bell can make an impact at some point this season, too.
“Also keep an eye on the Dolphins’ other third-round rookie receiver, Chris Bell, who looks to be on track to play early in the season despite tearing an ACL last November while playing for Louisville,” Graziano wrote in his new article. “The Dolphins likely are a rebuilding team this season, and they’re extremely young at wide receiver. That means growing pains — but it also means a chance for young guys to get valuable reps and make a splash early.”
The Dolphins’ more experienced wideouts include Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert. They also brought in Ryan Miller, a journeyman.
There’s not a lot standing in the way of Douglas and Bell making an impact early and often. If they can break through, it’ll go a long way toward helping Willis and the Dolphins’ offense be a pleasant surprise in 2026.
Miami should be a run-heavy team, but it’ll be up to the youngsters to ensure opponents can’t stack the box too heavily. Douglas and Bell could be the key to the Dolphins’ chances of moving the ball well this season.
Dolphins’ Caleb Douglas Gets Exciting Bold Prediction From ESPN