As far as wide receivers for teams not expected to have good passing games go, Caleb Douglas entered his NFL debut on Sunday for the Miami Dolphins with a lot of hype.
And right from the outset, he lived up to it.
The Dolphins struggled in a 27-13 loss, but not Douglas.
The tall, strong, speedy rookie caught five passes for 94 yards. On a day when almost nothing else went right for Miami’s offense, Douglas immediately looked like a game-changing player.
He also stood out when compared to all the other rookie wideouts who had played in Week 1 through Sunday.
According to Underdog NFL, Douglas’ 25.9% target share was first among rookie wide receivers in Week 1. So were his five catches and his 94 yards.
Douglas also led all rookie WRs with 35 yards after the catch.
And then there was a stat that compared him to Puka Nacua.
Great Omen for Caleb Douglas
The Underdog stat sharing on X also including the fact that Douglas had totaled the most receiving yards in a WR’s NFL debut since Nacua, the Los Angeles Rams superstar.
Nacua had 119 yards in his debut, so 25 more than Douglas, but still — in a pass-happy NFL, this is the closest anyone has gotten to Nacua’s mark in the last few years.
Caleb Douglas in Week 1:
25.9% target share (1st among rookie WRs)
5 catches (1st)
94 yards (1st)
35 yards after catch (1st)Most receiving yards in a debut since Puka Nacua (119). pic.twitter.com/eWct7ifscU
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 14, 2026
The fact that Douglas did this despite the fact that Malik Willis mostly struggled in his first game with the Dolphins? A major win for Miami.
How About an Encore?
The question now becomes whether Douglas can follow this up.
Nacua certainly did. He grew from a fifth-round pick into one of the NFL’s best receivers, proving that draft stock certainly isn’t everything.
Douglas was a third-round pick, but his measurables and testing numbers are incredibly impressive. He certainly looks the part on paper.
And on the field on Sunday, he looked the part as well.
The main difference here is that Nacua had future Hall of Fame QB Matthew Stafford throwing him the ball. Douglas has Willis, who could still grow into his own but certainly isn’t Stafford.
There will likely be quiet weeks, but the Dolphins will trail plenty and need to throw to remain in games. Douglas should get plenty of targets.
And it’s clear, right off the bat, that when Douglas gets the ball thrown his way, he can do some serious damage to the defense.
Dolphins’ Caleb Douglas Overlaps With Puka Nacua in NFL Debut