The Miami Dolphins are going to need to move the football through the air on Sunday in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season.
They’re taking on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. This is one of those situations where the only option is to try and keep up.
But who will the Dolphins throw it to?
That’s a really good question.
Caleb Douglas will be missing in action for the first time in his rookie season. He’s out with an injury.
That leaves the Dolphins even thinner than they already were at wide receiver. They entered the year with the least-experienced WR depth chart in the NFL, and while Douglas was a rookie, he had already ascended into the No. 1 wideout role.
Without him, the guys playing against the Chiefs won’t exactly have a lot of notoriety.
Dolphins WR Depth Chart
The top-two spots in the Dolphins’ WR depth chart without Douglas should belong to guys who have played a lot already this season.
The slot receiver is Malik Washington, and he was the top returner from a year ago. He’s a proven playmaker for whom the Dolphins do a variety of things to get him the football.
The other main perimeter receiver so far outside of Douglas has been his fellow third-round pick Chris Bell. Bell is a big-play threat down the field, and as he ramped up late in the preseason from an injury in his last year at Louisville, he started to give the Dolphins confidence that he could deliver when his number is called — and it sure is being called on Sunday.
Beyond these two guys it gets a bit murkier.
There’s another rookie, Kevin Coleman Jr., who was a fifth-round pick and projects as more of a possession-based receiver like Washington.
There’s the former Dallas Cowboys speedster, Jalen Tolbert, who probably will get more snaps outside without Douglas.
And then there’s Ryan Miller, who is a journeyman most known for his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught a late 77-yard touchdown in Week 2 from Malik Willis, which should at least give the coaching staff the thought that they should have him on the field more.
Not an ideal setup, to be sure, but it’s what the Dolphins have.
Other Pass Catchers
At this point, the Dolphins would be wise to throw the ball to other players early and often.
RB De’Von Achane should see a ton of carries but also a bunch of targets. His backup on Sunday is Ollie Gordon, and he should see action, too.
The starting tight end, Greg Dulcich, was hyped up in the preseason but hasn’t done a ton yet. This could be a key game for him, as well as the Dolphins’ three rookie tight ends behind him: Will Kacmarek, Seydou Traore and Justin Joly.
Malik Willis may also be forced to run more to keep drives alive with a limited receiving group.
Dolphins WR Depth Chart: Why Caleb Douglas Isn’t Playing Changes Everything