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One WR for the Dolphins in each round of the 2022 NFL draft

Heading into the draft at the end of April, the Miami Dolphins have the fewest number of draft picks of any team in the league, as they’re only set to make four selections.

While general manager Chris Grier added Tyreek Hill, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Trent Sherfield and River Cracraft at wide receiver this offseason, the Dolphins should still be looking to add another young in the draft process, especially after moving on from DeVante Parker.

Miami may not have a draft pick in every round, but because they could obviously trade up, these are seven wideouts that they could consider drafting, one in each round.

First round - Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

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In another wide receiver class that’s considered to be strong, Wilson is among the top. In his three seasons at Ohio State, he recorded 143 receptions for 2,213 yards and 23 touchdowns. If he could get into Miami’s system and allow Tua Tagovailoa to get him the ball in space, he could be a very productive player in this league.

Here’s what NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Wilson:

“Wilson’s game is lacking in polish, but some scouts believe his play strength and run-after-catch ability make him a more valuable draft commodity than Ohio State teammate Chris Olave. He’s a linear, inside/outside receiver with trouble eluding press cleanly and is very inefficient with routes over the first two levels. His long speed is good, but the acceleration burst is what makes him such an effective separator in space. He might not be smooth getting there, but he has eye-popping ball skills when it’s time to go make a play. Wilson needs to work on his ability to consistently uncover on all three levels, but he has the traits to become a very good WR2 if he tightens up areas of concern.”

Second round - Christian Watson, North Dakota State

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The Dolphins like speed, and there’s no shortage of that in Watson’s game. In three years at the FCS level, Watson produced 105 receptions for 2,140 yards and 14 touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, he provides the size that Miami is lacking right now.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Watson:

“A receiver prospect with intriguing measurables and a strong belief in the team aspect of the game, Watson possesses an alluring combination of size and speed. He showed off improved route running and catch strength in 2021. He is much more gifted than his opposition was at NDSU and needs to prove he can elevate his game against bigger, faster players at the next level. He plays hard and fast but needs to add a few more pounds and learn to impose his frame on the coverage. He’s a field-stretching option requiring a linear route tree and projects as a capable WR3/4 with more work.”

Third round - David Bell, Purdue

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If the Dolphins are looking for a productive prospect who has a different skill set than their top two wideouts on the roster, Bell is their guy. Through three seasons at Purdue, he totaled 232 receptions for 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Bell:

“Inside/outside target who is more smooth than sudden in uncovering over the first two levels of the field. Bell is like a crafty pitcher with a limited fastball but a variety of pitches to get hitters out. He wins with process over speed and has an ability to keep man coverage off-balance with rhythmic route-running and detailed footwork. While the tape has several elements to excite the viewer, the lack of functional explosiveness, speed and change of direction he showed at the NFL Scouting Combine simply can’t be ignored. He’s a willing worker in the middle of the field and has a savvy element to his game, but he’ll have to prove he’s better than his testing suggested as a Day 3 prospect.”

Fourth round - Tyquan Thornton, Baylor

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Let’s give the Dolphins some more speed by giving them the fastest wide receiver in the draft, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds. Four seasons at Baylor allowed Thornton to put up 2,242 yards and 19 touchdowns on 143 receptions. It’s already known that Miami is interested in the Bear, as he met with them for a pre-draft visit.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Thornton:

“There is a lot to like about Thornton’s game, including his instincts, long speed and ability to create separation on the move. He’s a vertical threat with the speed and poise to win deep and has an excellent feel for maintaining spacing when working against zone coverage. He’s skinny and linear, which is a bad combination in defeating strong press-man corners on the next level. The poise and catch radius will work in his favor, but the success rate on contested catches will be lower than teams like, based upon his history and physical traits. Wideouts with his size profile have struggled mightily to succeed in the league, but Thornton’s speed and talent make him worthy of a shot on Day 3.”

Fifth round - Kevin Austin Jr.

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The Notre Dame product is a bigger body that hasn’t played a ton of football. He played just four games in 2018 and was unofficially suspended for the entire 2019 season before returning for just one game in 2020. However, Austin Jr. was productive in 2021, as he recorded 48 receptions for 888 yards and seven touchdowns. He may be more of a developmental piece, but he’s an intriguing prospect that the Dolphins could consider.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Austin Jr.:

“Austin’s progression in 2021 might force evaluators to tear up early season notes and pay closer attention to his second half of the season. Despite noticeable in-season improvement, he hasn’t played much college football and should require a little longer developmental period for route-running, catch consistency and instincts for the position. His size, traits and ball skills on deep throws are instant checkmarks in his favor and his reputation as an elite practice player earlier in his career should carry some weight. He has middle-round value with a higher ceiling but lower floor.”

Sixth round - Jalen Nailor, Michigan State

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Nailor played four seasons at Michigan State, producing 1,454 yards and 12 touchdowns on 86 receptions. He has the potential to continue his big-play standard in the NFL, as he averaged 16.9 yards per reception with the Spartans.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Nailor:

“Speedy outside target with field-stretching talent who has been beset by injuries in three separate seasons. Nailor is sudden but smooth with his route release and his gliding gait tends to mask his acceleration, allowing him to climb quickly past the coverage. While he can work deep, he has the agility and body control to become a more effective route specialist on all three levels. Nailor is a competitor but has some trouble winning battles against stronger, physical corners. Teams will need to weigh the playmaking speed against the injury background, but Nailor has the talent to become an NFL backup.”

Seventh round - Isaiah Weston

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Weston has been at Nothern Iowa for six seasons, but redshirting in 2016 and missing all of 2018 with a torn ACL left him with just over three years to work with. During his time with the Panthers, he recorded 109 receptions for 2,468 yards and 20 touchdowns. It would be a tough jump to make from FCS to the NFL, but it would be interesting to see how he could fit in Miami’s offense.

Here’s what Zierlein wrote about Weston:

“One-speed route runner with the height, weight and speed to beat up on FCS opponents down the field. His primary function was to stretch and challenge defenses vertically, but he appears to have the physical tools to become a more nuanced route runner with more coaching. Weston will find that getting a clean release and outracing an NFL cornerback will be a much greater challenge. The downfield ball skills can be spectacular at times and his productivity would have skyrocketed with a more accurate quarterback. There is upside worthy of exploring but it might be as a late-round pick with an early home on the practice squad.”

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