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Jaylen Waddle

Miami No. 2 underrated

With the Dolphins falling short in the playoffs, some fans are apparently looking for ways to improve the team by shipping off one of their assets. They've settled on Jaylen Waddle as possible trade bait, to the chagrin of Tyreek Hill.

“My boy Waddle is the future,” says Hill. “He is better than I was at this point in his career and for people in this fan base to want to trade him is ludicrous."

Waddle hasn't been perfect. He missed three games due to injury last year, and scored only 4 touchdowns in the games he played in. He's also (perhaps part of the reason fans are cool on him) been very quiet in playoff losses the last two years, totaling just 5 catches for 75 yards in those two contests. And certainly he's been helped the last two seasons by Tyreek drawing a lot more defensive attention.

But he's also gone over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. Among all first-round wideouts from the last 30 years, only nine had more total yards at this stage of their careers than Waddle. And virtually all of those guys went on to be pretty awesome in Year 4, and beyond.

Table shows the top first-round wideouts since 1990, sorted by total yards (years 1-3). Last two columns show receiving yards in Year 4, as well as their fantasy rank (PPR) in that fourth season. More than half (20 of 37) went over 1,000 yards that year; nearly a third (11) ranked in the top 12 at their position. That's the track Waddle is on.

FIRST-ROUND WRS, TOTAL YARDS (YRS 1-3), 1994-PRESENT
DraftPkPlayerYds(1)Yds(2)Yds(3)TotalYds(4)Rk(4)
202022Justin Jefferson, Minn.1400161618094825107432
199821Randy Moss, Minn.131314131437416312338
201412Odell Beckham Jr., NYG130514501367412230284
20114A.J. Green, Cin.1057135014263833104124
19996Torry Holt, St.L.788163513633786130213
20215JaMarr Chase, Cin.1455104612163717??
20147Mike Evans, T.B.1051120613213578100117
201327DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.80212101521353395429
202017CeeDee Lamb, Dall.93511021359339617491
20216Jaylen Waddle, Mia.1015135610143385??
19998David Boston, Ariz.47311561598322751277
202110DeVonta Smith, Phil.916119610663178??
201824D.J. Moore, Car.788117511933156115717
20043Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz.7801409946313514095
19958Joey Galloway, Sea.10399871049307510479
20072Calvin Johnson, Det.7561331984307111206
201826Calvin Ridley, Atl.82186613743061281103
200929Hakeem Nicks, NYG79010521192303469253
19961Keyshawn Johnson, NYJ84496311312938117010
20154Amari Cooper, Oak.107011536802903100519
200413Lee Evans, Buff.8437431292287884933
201024Dez Bryant, Dall.5619281382287112337
201420Brandin Cooks, N.O.550113811732861108215
20047Roy Williams, Det.8176871310281483832
20033Andre Johnson, Hou.97611426882806114711
20116Julio Jones, Atl.9591198580273715936
20053Braylon Edwards, Clev.5128841289268587334
20019Koren Robinson, Sea.5361240896267249569
200922Percy Harvin, Minn.790868967262567735
200723Dwayne Bowe, K.C.9951022589260611624
20008Plaxico Burress, Pitt.27310081325260686026
200919Jeremy Maclin, Phil.773964859259685722
202025Brandon Aiyuk, S.F.74882610152589134214
200625Santonio Holmes, Pitt.8249428212587124814
199619Marvin Harrison, Ind.836866776247816631
20144Sammy Watkins, Buff.9821047430245959341
201213Michael Floyd, Ariz.5621041841244484938
201220Kendall Wright, Tenn.6261079715242040875
200220Javon Walker, G.B.3197161382241727156
201925Marquise Brown, Balt.5847691008236170944

It's unlikely that the Dolphins will be looking to trade Waddle, but if they do (financial considerations, perhaps), they will not be lacking for suitors.

--Andy Richardson

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