Hill And Waddle Holds Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Room Together
The Miami Dolphins finished the 2022/23 season with the NFL’s best passing offense. Tyreek Hill headlined all receivers leaguewide, reeling in 1,799 yards himself. Jaylen Waddle brought in 1,019 yards as well, making them the highest-producing receiving duo in the entire NFL. The superstars did this despite four games missed between them combined.
Entering the 2024 NFL season, only four wide receivers were on the active roster. After expecting players like River Cracraft, Malik Washington, and Odell Beckham Jr, the Miami Dolphins have been battling depth issues at receiver due to injuries.
Miami Dolphins Offseason Failed To Bring In Reliable Depth
Besides the addition of Odell Beckham Jr, who has yet to see a field with the Miami Dolphins, GM Chris Grier failed to sign any depth threats to the squad. Now, heading into their week three matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, South Beach will need to rely on unproven hands.
The Dolphins have elevated D’Wayne ‘Dee’ Eskridge and Erik Ezukanma to the active roster to perform against the Seahawks.
Erik is a freak, Wes Welker said in August 2023. I mean, he’s got a lot of ability, and you see the flashes everywhere. He’s definitely doing some great things out there. It’s just the consistency of everything that we’re talking about…
In his preseason outing against the Washington Commanders, Erik Ezukanma was a standout performer. He hauled in five of seven targets for 65 yards, leading all receivers in the game and ranking among the top pass catchers in Week 2 of the preseason. His contributions helped push the Miami Dolphins to a 13-6 victory. “Dee” Eskridge, a former second-round pick by the Seahawks, has totaled 17 receptions for 122 yards and one touchdown in the three years since being drafted.
Final Thoughts
The Miami Dolphins’ approach to building their wide receiver unit has faced challenges, partly due to missed opportunities in securing veteran depth. While they brought in Robbie Chosen, the team’s decision-making didn’t seem to reflect lessons learned from last season. Reinforcements could have been added during training camp to bolster the position.
Although predicting injuries is difficult, the Dolphins were aware that Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) was not fully healthy and would miss time. Similarly, River Cracraft was expected to be sidelined, and Erik Ezukanma has struggled with consistency. Additionally, both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill have a history of missing games due to injury.
As the team heads into the next week, it remains unclear what adjustments they will make. The Dolphins appear confident in Braxton Berrios as their third wide receiver, though his involvement in the offense over the past two seasons has been limited. With their current depth, Miami may have no choice but to rely on Berrios more heavily in the upcoming game against Seattle. The team faces a critical situation, as further losses to the wide receiver corps would leave them thin on healthy, productive options.
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