2021 NFL Draft: Jets, Panthers fill QB need in three-round mock draft
2021 NFL Draft: Round 1, 8th overall
WR. Alabama. Jaylen Waddle. player. Pick Analysis. 8. 59. Scouting Report
After trading down earlier in this mock draft, the Miami Dolphins find themselves in a great situation here with the eighth overall pick. This team needs to find more playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and have their choice of a few here. Really, this pick is between two former college teammates of Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. DeVonta Smith is great and would be a wonderful choice as well, but I am giving Jaylen Waddle the edge here.
Waddle missed most of the 2020 college football season with an ugly ankle injury but he did need much time to make his mark on the field. He is an incredibly explosive wide receiver prospect whose combination of raw speed and athleticism is elite and helps give him massive upside at the next level.
Waddle is an absolute freak at the wide receiver position who shows elite short-area quickness and deep speed. His speed makes him a threat to score from anywhere on the field, but Waddle is more than just a burner. He knows how to create space as a route runner, battles for the ball in the air extremely well and has incredibly reliable hands.
Simply put, Waddle is an elite playmaker at the wide receiver position who has massive upside at the next level. He is exactly what the Dolphins need on the offensive side of the ball.