The Miami Dolphins need a wide receiver, and they go for more of a prototypical option in Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.
The Miami Dolphins opted to trade Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos for a first-round pick, and much more.
With Waddle out and Tyreek Hill being previously released, the team has a deep need at wide receiver. The free agents brought in are still a mystery, and building through the draft is a major reason why the Dolphins could target a big-bodied pass catcher, as detailed by a draft expert.
Miami's plan when general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan took over was to get younger and build through the draft, which is what Sullivan has done thus far.
Shedding all of the bloated contracts has led to the Dolphins having to pay over $185 million in dead cap, but it is also setting the team up to have one of the best cap situations in 2027.
Not looking too far ahead, the Dolphins also have a staggering amount of draft capital, following the Waddle trade and more.
They currently pick at No. 11 overall and at No. 30 overall in the first round.
With No. 11, the Dolphins could go many different directions, but the consensus continues to indicate a wide receiver will be taken, and NBC Sports' Kule Dvorchak believes Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson is the right call.
"Before the Dolphins so rudely tanked my Mock Draft 2.0 by trading Jaylen Waddle an hour before I was set to publish the piece, this pick was Utah tackle Spencer Fano. Their hole at tackle hasn’t changed, but no team needs a wide receiver more than Miami. At 6’2/203, Tyson has a more prototypical WR1 frame than Makai Lemon. He also earned higher yardage shares in both of his healthy Arizona State seasons than Lemon did at any point in his career. I see Tyson as a slightly more risky bet than Lemon, but that risk comes with a higher ceiling," Dvorchak wrote.
One of the biggest aspects of taking Tyson is it gives the Dolphins a receiver they have not had on the roster in years. At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, Tyson is the big body the team has not prioritized in recent years.
Hill and Waddle are smaller receivers who excel in open space and can outrun anyone. However, contested catches weren't their biggest advantage.
To be fair, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was also not the best deep ball thrower in the league, so neither receiver got the chance to play alongside a quarterback who could truly air it out.
Current quarterback Malik Willis is that quarterback. He has the arm to throw the ball downfield, while also placing it in a spot for a big-bodied receiver to either make a play or draw a pass interference call.
The Dolphins did bring in former Dallas Cowboys receiver Jalen Tolbert, who has shown he can play the contested ball game very well. Still, Tyson is the younger counterpart that an offense can build around.
Tyson ended his time at Arizona State with 1,812 yards and six touchdowns. He also had a 13.3 yards per catch average.
Willis and Tyson could become a lethal combo, should the Dolphins choose to take that route.