Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have each produced at least 2,800 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. The Miami Dolphins enter 2024 with the deepest wide receiver group of the Mike McDaniel era.
Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Dolphins after recording 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games last season. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver is expected to play a significant role in Miami’s passing game, as no third wide receiver has exceeded 30 receptions in McDaniel’s system so far.
The Dolphins started the 2022 season with five wide receivers on the roster and had six last season, suggesting only two or three spots remain behind the presumed top three. Wide receivers River Cracraft and Braxton Berrios re-signed with the team in free agency, while Braylon Sanders and Anthony Schwartz signed future/reserve contracts in January.
**River Cracraft, 30**, followed McDaniel from the San Francisco 49ers to South Florida, catching nine passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in his second season with Miami. He has appeared in at least 10 games over the last two seasons and signed a one-year, $1.13 million contract for 2024.
**Braxton Berrios, a 2018 sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots**, caught 27 of 33 targets for 238 yards while returning 41 total kicks for the Dolphins. The 28-year-old receiver is favored to continue returning kicks in 2024, though the Dolphins may reconsider due to new kickoff rules. Miami would save $932,353 while absorbing $1.2 million in dead money if Berrios is released.
**Braylon Sanders**, who appeared in three games as an undrafted rookie in 2022, and **Anthony Schwartz**, a 2021 third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, face tough competition for roster spots. The Dolphins drafted two wide receivers named Washington in April, both with potential to thrive in McDaniel’s system.
**Malik Washington**, Miami’s sixth-round pick from Virginia, led college football with 110 receptions last year. He spent four seasons at Northwestern before gaining 1,426 receiving yards as a graduate student. At 5’ 8½, he is the shortest player on Miami’s 90-man roster.
**Tahj Washington**, weighing 174 pounds, is the lightest player on the Dolphins but is noteworthy for averaging 18 yards per reception while catching passes from Caleb Williams. Miami must decide whether to risk placing a big-play slot receiver with special teams experience on the practice squad.
**Je’Quan Burton**, an undrafted rookie and Florida native, signed with the Dolphins in April. He caught 24 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns at Florida Atlantic University in 2023.
**Erik Ezukanma** is set to fully participate in training camp after recovering from a neck injury. The former fourth-round pick has appeared in only three regular-season games, but at 6’2 and 206 pounds, he is taller and heavier than Hill, Waddle, and Beckham. Ezukanma has just one regular-season catch but showed versatility with five carries for 22 yards across two games last season and gained attention with eight receptions and two rushing attempts for 52 yards in the preseason.
Health remains a key concern for Ezukanma, but he possesses the skills and traits to stand out as a versatile threat in McDaniel’s dynamic offense.
**Who do you think will secure a roster spot behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Odell Beckham Jr. on the 53-man roster? Let us know!**
