Over the past four seasons, the Miami Dolphins have had one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
This offseason, the team released Hill and traded Waddle to the Denver Broncos. That has left new quarterback Malik Willis in a tough position, as he has no proven No. 1 receiver in this offense.
In fact, out of the players on Miami’s roster, running back De’Von Achane totaled the most receiving yards in the 2025 season. However, a former five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver shared optimism for the Dolphins and in particular had high praise for one of the team’s receivers.
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Earns High Praise
On his show, former Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. had high praise for third-year Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington. Smith said, “(Malik Washington) is the No. 1 wide receiver in the room. And I think they did a really good job of moving him around in the preseason game to show you…that he is there to stay. They are okay with where he is. He will be a huge contributor and they love his growth and what he’s been able to do. He’s a blue-collar worker. Lunch pail. He brings his hard hat, he brings his lunch pail. And what is asked of him? ‘Yes sir, no sir.’ And what is done is ‘I got it’.”
Last season, Washington finished fourth on the team in receiving yards, behind Waddle, Achane and tight end Greg Dulcich. Despite Tyreek Hill missing a majority of the season after he dislocated his knee in Week 4, Washington did not see a dramatic increase in production as one might have expected.
Now, with Waddle out of the picture, it appears Washington will be a bigger part of the team’s weekly game plan.
Regarding Washington and Smith’s comments, A to Z Sports’ Kyle Crabbs wrote: “One thing working in his favor is the adjustment from being a “schemed touch” player to a legitimate part of a working progression. And Miami no longer boasts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle atop their depth chart — meaning Washington should end up earlier in the progression and, hopefully, yield more productive targets.
He’s got a believer in Smith Sr. and that counts for something. A 1,000 yard receiver? Probably not. I’m not sure any Dolphins player will touch that stratosphere this season. But Miami’s WR1? Smith Sr. thinks so. And I’m inclined to think he’s right that Washington will lead this team in targets. Barring, of course, a rookie surprise.”
Miami Dolphins Wide Receivers
As mentioned previously, the Dolphins lack proven receivers. However, they do possess a trio of rookie wide receivers, who the team now hopes develop into legitimate weapons for Malik Willis.
While fans may have hoped that one of the rookies stepped up and became the No. 1 receiver, it appears the former Dolphins sixth-round pick has taken on that role.
Whether that lasts or how productive he is in that role remains to be seen. In the previous two seasons, Washington has mostly provided value as a special teams player and occasionally had success on some gadget plays.
NFL Legend Sends Strong Message to Dolphins ‘No. 1 Wide Receiver’