For the last several seasons, Miami Dolphins fans were spoiled by the play of wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but those days have come and gone.
As part of their commitment to a rebuild, the Dolphins released Hill and traded Waddle to the Denver Broncos, drastically changing the look of the position group.
Unfortunately, with a rebuild comes growing pains, and according to Dolphins insider Omar Kelly, the team’s wide receiver unit doesn’t look the part right now.
“Right now, it looks like trash,” Kelly said. “It looks like trash.”
Replacing the production of Waddle and Hill won’t be an easy task. Waddle was a frequent threat to hit 1,000 yards, as he finished his Dolphins tenure with 5,039 receiving yards in five years. Hill, meanwhile, started to decline as his stint continued and suffered a season-ending injury in 2025, but he had two seasons with the team in which he exceeded 1,700 receiving yards.
Now, the Dolphins will have to look elsewhere to get some production. Between some of Miami’s new rookie receivers and players like Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Malik Washington and Jalen Reagor, the position group has no shortage of names, but it lacks slam dunk options.
The hope has to be that new Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis won’t struggle due to a lack of star talent at the receiver spots.
Willis comes to Miami after a few seasons in the NFL, but this will be his first time getting the reins as a consistent starter. In his NFL opportunities to this point, he has completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 1,322 yards, six scores and three picks. He is also a threat with his legs, which could play a key role for the Dolphins this season if their receiver room struggles.
The good news for Miami is that expectations are low going into the 2026 season. After moving on from star players, coaches and executives, the team is entering a brand new era in which struggles are expected early on.
Some players may have difficult seasons for the Dolphins in 2026, but they will at least be able to do so in an environment where growing pains are expected. Hopefully, some receivers will step up and prove that Miami does have some strong pieces at the position.
