The Miami Dolphins sent the league into a panic when they traded for Tyreek Hill in 2022. The “Cheetah” would be joining one of the most explosive young wideouts in the league coming off a one thousand yard rookie season, Jaylen Waddle. The duo produced immediately, combining for more than 3,000 yards in Tyreek’s first season in South Beach. The next year was the same story as the duo helped Miami post the number one passing attack in the league.
Now, after a season in which both players finished under the one thousand yard mark, Pro Football Focus doesn’t consider the Dolphins receiving room as a whole a top five unit. They landed seventh in the rankings, just behind the Minnesota Vikings and just ahead of the Los Angeles Rams.
“Tyreek Hill was not as dominant as we’re used to in 2024 (77.3 receiving grade), but in 2022 and 2023, he was unstoppable with 92.0 and 93.8 PFF receiving grades,” the website published. “Jaylen Waddle also took a step back, posting career lows in receiving yards, touchdowns, yards per route run and PFF receiving grade, but he was an elite receiver in 2023 (90.6 PFF receiving grade).”
It was the first time in Waddle’s four year career that he has failed to eclipse four digit yardage. Excluding Hill’s rookie season and a year in which he missed over a quarter of the season, it was the first of it’s kind as well. The duo really suffered in what was over all a failure of a year, headlined by quarterback problems and sloppy losses.
“Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane each earned PFF receiving grades above 80.0 last season, and the potential for Hill and Waddle to bounce back means this group has to remain high in the rankings,” PFF concluded.
Who Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Co. Rank Behind
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles headline this list. By the numbers, the Eagles group posted an identical grade to the second ranked unit, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who scored a 79.1 in 2024.
The most surprising entry to this list was the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners rounded off the top five, even after an apocalyptic season that saw the team that lost the Super Bowl in overtime just a season before finish in last place in the NFC West. Even after four straight losses to end the season 6-11, PFF has faith in what a health Niners unit could look like this season.
“But the fact of the matter is, McCaffrey has earned 84.0-plus PFF receiving grades in six of his eight seasons, including the last one in which he was fully healthy (2023), and Aiyuk was one of the highest graded receivers in the league (91.7) in 2023,” PFF wrote. “If they are healthy and can feature alongside George Kittle, who ranked second in PFF receiving grade (92.6) among tight ends last season, as well as Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, the group deserves the benefit of the doubt, even without Deebo Samuel.”
Offseason Additions to Miami’s Receiving Room
Miami’s biggest addition, as far as skilled position singings go, this offseason was the former Tennessee Titan, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Westbrook-Ikhine stole evryone’s attention last season whena 98 yard touchdown started off one of the hottest streaks in the league. He went on to score four touchdowns in three weeks.
He will be joining tight end Pharaoh Brown as pass catching newcomers. The new WR3 and TE2 hope to return the Dolphins passing game to the top of the league.
