The Miami Dolphins selected University of Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday.
Waddle, 22, played with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama.
“It’s just great to be a Dolphin. We are going to do our best to make plays,” Waddle said about reuniting with Tagovailoa. “I’m trying to be a part of something special.”
Despite appearing in just six games last season due to an ankle injury, Waddle was the second receiver taken in this year’s draft and has drawn many comparisons to Kansas City Chiefs star wideout Tyreek Hill.
“I get a lot of comparisons to Tyreek because of his size and what I can do as a runner,” Waddle said. “But I want to be my own player. I’m going to be the player that I always have.”
Waddle brings another dimension to an increasingly impressive receiver room for the Dolphins.
Last year’s top receiver DeVante Parker is returning to the team, and the Dolphins brought in speedster Will Fuller in free agency.
Waddle will likely operate as Miami’s slot receiver, and the fact that he already has a chemistry with Tagovailoa should help both of their developments.
The draft resumes Friday at 7 p.m. EST with the second and third rounds.
