One of the Miami Dolphins’ biggest issues in 2023 was their wide receiver depth. Miami’s initial 53-man roster shows this position group’s depth will be put to the test almost immediately in 2024.
With offseason signee Odell Beckham Jr. starting the season on the PUP list and returning receiver River Cracraft sent to the short-term IR, Miami has only four receivers on their 53-man roster.
That could mean a lot is placed on rookie receiver Malik Washington’s plate.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form debatably the best wide receiver tandem in the NFL, and Braxton Berrios has been a reliable short-yardage target throughout his career. But those are the only three receivers on the current iteration of the roster outside of Washington.
Just like last season, the Dolphins already find themselves depleted at the position.
While the season is yet to start, though, the team has liked what it’s seen from Malik Washington. The Virginia product put together his best preseason performance came in the final game against the Buccaneers. He had two impressive returns, a seven-yard catch and a 40-yard rush. That provide hope for a banged up wide receiving corps.
Malik Washington against the Bucs:
1 rush for 40 yards
1 catch for 7 yards
1 kick return for 45 yards
1 punt return for 28 yardsJust an absolute nightmare to tackle pic.twitter.com/9JB6Efa3tz
— Finscentral (@finscentral) August 24, 2024
And according to head coach Mike McDaniel, Washington showed something they saw in his college tape: his aggressiveness.
“We hadn’t gotten the chance to see something we saw in college from him that he put on display tonight, which is his balance and ability to break tackles,” McDaniel said after the game. “It was definitely a big spark for us, and I was happy to see him really own the moment.”
Can Washington show it in the regular season too? It would certainly help the Dolphins if he could.
