Watch: Nate Burleson on Jaylen Waddle’s perfect fit with Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins’ selection of Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft brings the team’s offense an exciting level of explosiveness that we haven’t seen from the Dolphins in quite some time. And, when paired with speedy WR Will Fuller V, the Dolphins should be expecting plenty more chunk plays than they enjoyed in 2021. The icing on the cake for this selection is, of course, the previous relationship between Waddle and the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa and Waddle overlapped for two seasons in Miami, producing a total of 78 receptions for 1,408 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns over the course of 2018 and 2019. Despite the presence of three other 1st-round wide receivers (Denver’s Jerry Jeudy, Las Vegas’ Henry Ruggs III and Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith), the chemistry between the pair was real — and ‘Good Morning Football’ analyst and former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson put that chemistry under the microscope in a recent segment of “The Bur-Lesson”.

Burleson goes on to spotlight Waddle’s ability to create after the catch, his vertical receiving skills, Tagovailoa’s trust and timing on the deeper routes and also Waddle’s toughness to attack the football in traffic.

Whether or not Miami chooses to take advantage of Waddle’s special teams ability is yet to be determined — but if they do, that will tap into another dynamic of the Waddle choice that would add even more impact to his role with the team. Waddle returned three combined punts and kickoffs for touchdown over his two years of play with Tagovailoa on the roster — making him a threat in any capacity he can touch the football, too.

The challenge with implementing Waddle on special teams is if the increased exposure is worth the risk of injury. Waddle’s significant leg injury suffered in 2020 against the Tennessee Volunteers came on the opening kickoff.

The good news is that even if Miami opts to play someone else back to return kicks and punts, Waddle’s previous relationship and play with Tagovailoa gives him a leg up in creating an impact — as Burleson points out. And with so many different ways and phases that Waddle is capable of impacting a game plan, the big question for Miami will be how to best get their top choice in the 2021 NFL Draft started. With Will Fuller V serving a 1-game suspension to open the season, Miami will likely have plenty of reps on his plate ready to go.