April 20, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Miami Dolphins<\/a> traded Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos and released Tyreek Hill and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine earlier this offseason, leaving the wide receiver room rather thin.<\/p>\n While they’ve signed Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert and Terrace Marshall Jr., they could still use more help at the position before they play their first game with Malik Willis under center.<\/p>\n With the 2026 NFL draft just days away, let’s take a look at seven wideouts that the Dolphins<\/a> could land, one for each round.<\/p>\n Round 1: Carnell Tate, Ohio State<\/p>\n Stats: 121 receptions, 1,872 yards and 14 touchdowns<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile:<\/a> “Ascending ‘Z’ receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.”<\/p>\n Round 2: Chris Bell, Louisville<\/p>\n Stats: 151 receptions, 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns<\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile<\/a>: “Possession receiver coming off of his most productive year and a late-season ACL tear. Bell\u2019s scores frequently came as a move target across the hashes, where he was able to use impressive build-up speed to eliminate angles and outrun everyone in the secondary to the paint. He\u2019s average at eluding press and separating from tight man underneath. Improving his catch focus and positioning when contested will be critical. Bell lacks dynamic qualities and his ACL tear could impact his draft slotting, but he’s a big, physical target with room to improve. He has a chance to become an average WR2\/3 in time.”<\/p>\n Round 3: Ted Hurst, Georgia State<\/p>\n Stats: 187 receptions, 2,992 yards and 25 touchdowns<\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile<\/a>: “Long-legged, vertical-minded wideout with the speed and ability to stress corners from snap to whistle. Hurst is quick to beat press and hit the accelerator into his route work. He has the hips, feet and balance to run a more robust route tree than what we saw from him in college. He\u2019s an above-average ball-tracker deep and a dangerous catch-and-run option. The hands are average and he needs to become more assertive on 50\/50 balls on all three levels. Hurst appears capable of surviving the jump in competition and projects as a ‘Z’ receiver with quality upside.”<\/p>\n Round 4: Ja’Kobi Lane, USC<\/p>\n Stats: 99 receptions, 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns<\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile<\/a>: “Lane is a red-zone stalwart with elite length and ball skills to mismatch cornerbacks when he\u2019s given room to work. He struggles playing through contact and sees an unusually high number of contested catches, but his catch radius, hand-eye coordination and focus give him a substantial advantage as a ball-winner. He might need releases schemed against heavy press teams and certain limbs on the route tree will be dead for him. Lane has the confidence and talent to become a productive pro and red-zone specialist, though.”<\/p>\n Round 5: Josh Cameron, Baylor<\/p>\n Stats: 170 receptions, 2,236 yards and 19 touchdowns<\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile<\/a>: “Cameron is built like a big running back and is not shy about using that size, strength and body control to rack up touchdowns in the red zone. He\u2019s smooth in tracking and adjusting to throws. Drops are a rarity. However, he lacks suddenness to beat press and needs plenty of route work to avoid seeing a heavy percentage of contested targets. Proving he can move beyond the relatively simple asks of the Baylor offense will be critical if he is to become more than a backup. Cameron has traits but the development could take some time.”<\/p>\n Round 6: Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech<\/p>\n Stats: 100 receptions, 1,583 yards and 16 touchdowns<\/p>\n NFL.com draft profile<\/a>: “Tall, competitive wideout who proved he could jump from the MAC to the Big 12 and remain productive. Virgil saw starting reps in just two seasons, but he plays like a more experienced wideout. He\u2019s light on his feet to elude press. He can run challenging routes underneath, but he could use more attention to detail on some simpler routes. He has strong hands and good body control to win when contested. He\u2019s not special in any one area but is solid in most. Virgil could compete for a role as a WR4 with special-teams value.”<\/p>\n Round 7: C.J. Daniels, Miami (FL)<\/p>\n Stats: 198 receptions, 2,996 yards and 28 touchdowns<\/p>\n