Jaylen Waddle breaks Anquan Boldin's NFL rookie receptions record

MIAMI GARDENS — An NFL record passed from one South Florida legend to the hands of a blossoming young star on Sunday in Hard Rock Stadium.

Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle set the NFL rookie receptions record on Miami's opening drive against the New England Patriots, catching passes on three of the Dolphins' first four plays from scrimmage.

After hitting Waddle on back-to-back passes to tie the record on the game's first two plays, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa soon found Waddle for the record-breaker: a 5-yard out route to move Miami to midfield.

Later in the drive, Tagovailoa found Waddle in the corner of the end zone on a fourth-down rollout to score the afternoon's first touchdown.

Waddle finished with five catches for 27 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins' 33-24 win over the Patriots in the 2021 regular-season finale.

"Pretty much the first three plays went to him so we got that [record] out of the way quick," Tagovailoa said. "I was very happy we ended that drive with a touchdown for him. That was really cool."

Waddle closes his rookie campaign with 104 catches for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns.

Live updates: The latest from Dolphins-Patriots

Dolphins-Patriots predictions: What NFL experts thought ahead of Miami's season finale

Assessing the passing game: Whatever happened to speedy, deep receiving corps striking fear in Dolphins' opponents?

Pahokee great Anquan Boldin set the previous record of 101 receptions in his 2003 rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals. Waddle joins Boldin as the only two rookies to record 100 receptions in their first NFL season.

"Anquan Boldin was a baller when I was growing up," Waddle said.

Waddle, 23, was the No. 6 overall selection by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama. Waddle posted 106 catches for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons and was a 2020 College Football Playoff national champion with the Crimson Tide.

Waddle was selected as the Dan Marino Team MVP by local reporters prior to the Dolphins' finale against New England.

Despite his record-breaking success as a rookie, Waddle said he knows there's room for growth in terms of yards-per-catch and yards-after-catch.

Waddle averaged 9.8 yards per reception over 104 catches during his rookie season, a far cry from the big-play talent he displayed at Alabama. He averaged 18.9 yards per reception on 106 total catches in three seasons with the Crimson Tide.

NFL All-Time Rookie Receptions Record

1. 104 - Jaylen Waddle, Miami (2021)

2. 101 - Anquan Boldin, Arizona (2003)

3. 92 - Michael Thomas, New Orleans (2016)

T4. 91 - Odell Beckham, New York Giants (2014)

T4. 91 - Eddie Royal, Denver (2008)

T4. 91 - Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (2018)

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle sets NFL rookie receptions record