Why Chase/Smith might not be the Dolphins’ only receiver quandary early in NFL draft

Whether the Miami Dolphins should select LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase over Alabama’s DeVonta Smith — or vice versa — apparently isn’t the only relevant Dolphins’ wide receiver question early in the NFL Draft, if you trust the evaluations of two draft analysts who appear regularly on the NFL-owned television network.

For NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah and network colleague Bucky Brooks, the question isn’t whether Chase should be drafted ahead of Smith, but whether Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle also should be selected ahead of his former teammate Smith.

Jeremiah has the Dolphins taking Chase third overall, Waddle going 13th to the Chargers and Smith 14th to the Vikings.

Meanwhile, Brooks — a former NFL scout — rates the top four receivers in this order: Chase, Waddle, Smith and UF’s Kadarius Toney.

Any choice specifically between Alabama teammates Smith and Waddle — with Chase not part of the discussion — likely would come into play for the Dolphins only if they trade down from the third pick to add additional draft currency. Waddle isn’t viewed as a likely option if the Dolphins stay at No. 3 in the first round. And the odds are against Chase being available if the Dolphins trade down several spots, though it’s not out of the question.

Despite Smith’s exceptional production, Brooks has the 6-1, 175-pound Heisman Trophy winner only third in his receiver rankings because “the lack of success for small/slender Top 10 wide receivers will impact Smith’s spot on the board. There is also a sense that wide receivers are like running backs based on teams’ ability to find star quality players on Day 2/Day 3.”

The speedy Waddle is actually shorter than Smith (listed at 5-10) but weighs a bit more (182, per Alabama).

Waddle fractured his ankle Oct. 24 against Tennessee but returned — clearly not at full strength — in the national championship game against Ohio State and caught three passes for 34 yards.

A few comparisons between the two Alabama receivers:

▪ Yards per catch: Smith averaged 16.9 on 235 career receptions; Waddle averaged 18.9 on 106 receptions.

▪ Touchdowns: Smith had 46 receiving TDs in 47 games; Waddle had 17 TDs in 35 games.

▪ Per-game receptions: Smith averaged 142.8 yards receiving per game in his 13-game Heisman Trophy winning season. Waddle averaged 98.5 yards receiving per game in his six games last season.

▪ Punt returns: Smith, in his career, returned 11 punts for 237 yards (a 21.5 average) and one touchdown. Waddle returned 38 for 733 yards (a 19.3 average) and two touchdowns.

▪ Kickoff returns: Smith returned four for 52 yards (a 13.0 average). Waddle returned 9 for 214 yards (a 23.8 average) and one touchdown.

And keep this in mind: Waddle was the only player in the country who averaged more than 12 yards after the catch in 2019.

Brooks said Waddle “is the best catch-and-run specialist in the class. He has a knack for turning short passes into long gains with his electric running skills and cat-like stop-start quickness.”

As for Smith, Brooks said: “He plays the game like a seasoned vet, with his patience and superb timing complementing his savvy route-running skills. The Heisman Trophy winner is not the biggest or fastest receiver in the class, but he is always open, and his jaw-dropping production against elite competition bodes well for his pro potential.”

And what about the Chase/Smith debate?

ESPN’s Mel Kiper, in rolling out his latest mock draft on Thursday, still has Smith going third to Miami, with Chase sixth and Waddle 11th. “I have Smith just ahead of JaMarr in my rankings, but it’s tight,” he said.

NFL Draft Scout’s Matt Miller - recently hired by ESPN as a draft analyst - said: “A lot of people will want to reunite Tua with college teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith at wide receiver, but the more teams dig into the 2020 tape in their scouting groups, the more I hear that Ja’Marr Chase will be close to a consensus wide receiver 1 in this class. He’s a physical route-runner at 6’0” and 208 pounds— giving him a comparison in my notes to a faster Michael Thomas.”

And Miller makes the case why he believes Chase is the better option for the Dolphins, despite Tagovailoa’s history playing with Smith.

“Tua doesn’t have a rocket launcher for an arm,” Miller said. “It’s a lot of touch and timing. A physical route-runner who can box out defenders will open up his passing game and in turn the Dolphins’ offense.”

ESPN’s Louis Riddick tweeted on Thursday: “If/when Ja’Marr Chase runs that 4.45 or less in the 40 this spring, go ahead and send him straight to Miami.”

As for the Smith/Waddle debate, Miller said: “Do you want the speedster in Jaylen Waddle who can be your Tyreek Hill stretch-the-field type player or do you want that silky smooth route runner in DeVonta Smith who’s a lot like Jerry Jeudy was last year, minus some of the drop issues of course.”

Miller said “Smith must answer questions about his ability to find separation in the NFL without elite speed and with below-average bulk, but his two year reign of terror on SEC defenses should answer questions about how well he will translate to the pros.”

Like the other ESPN-employed draft analysts, Miller still has Smith (seventh) going ahead of Waddle (14th).

If the Dolphins move down from No. 3 to sixth (Philadelphia) or eighth (Carolina), Miami ultimately could have a choice of two talented, highly-productive Alabama receivers. And if the Dolphins can pick up a future first-round pick in the process, it’s a decision they presumably could live with.

QUARTERBACK UPDATE

Any remote chance of the Dolphins acquiring Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson seemed to evaporate on Thursday when a source told The Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero that Wilson is not interested in any move to the Dolphins “at this time.”

ESPN reported that Wilson prefers to stay in Seattle but would consider a trade to Dallas, New Orleans, Las Vegas or Chicago. Wilson has a no-trade clause, giving him the authority to approve any trade.

The Dolphins’ quarterback in 2021 is expected to be Tua Tagovailoa unless Miami is able to trade for Houston’s disgruntled Deshaun Watson, who remains unavailable. The Dolphins expect to be in the mix for Watson if the Texans decide to trade him, according to a league source.