Waddle looks to take his game to next level
Receiver stands to benefit from playing alongside Hill
MIAMI GARDENS — Much of the offseason commotion surrounding Jaylen Waddle now having top NFL speedster Tyreek Hill in the same receiving corps has been about the impending race between the two that Hill hyped up in his initial press conference as a Miami Dolphin.
That race is still yet to occur. Waddle, speaking at team facilities on Wednesday, quipped it will take place when media members participate in their own race.
But far more important than one or the other establishing who is indeed the fastest receiver on the team, Waddle stands to benefit from Hill’s presence and learn from the six-time Pro Bowl selection, so he can take the next step in his game heading into his second NFL season.
Waddle said he has had film sessions with Hill and the rest of the team’s receiving corps during their three-plus weeks in the offseason workout program that have been instrumental for him as he looks to expand on his NFL rookie receptions record of 104 set in 2021, to go with 1,015 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
“We watch tape every day,” said Waddle. “Honestly, the whole group goes out there, pinpoints what everyone’s doing well and how we can learn from each other.”
Waddle doesn’t have to watch Hill-specific tape too often. That’s something he has already done plenty to pick up on things Hill has done over his stellar career with the Kansas City Chiefs before the Dolphins traded five draft picks, including a first- and second-rounder in this week’s draft, to acquire him.
“I watched enough Tyreek tape before he got here,” Waddle said, adding that in their sessions Hill will explain certain techniques he uses to manipulate cornerbacks and coverage to get open.
One of emphasis for Waddle and the whole receiving unit across the board heading into 2022 is to get yards after the catch.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said last week the Dolphins want to “YAC the heck out of teams.”
Waddle and Hill both ranked in the top 20 in the NFL last season in terms of yards after catch. Hill was 17th at 444 and Waddle 19th at 439. But those numbers don’t appear as strong when one looks at how many receptions it took for each to reach those numbers, both with triple-digit catches on the season. In yards after catch per reception, Waddle and Hill ranked 104 and 109, respectively.
“I go back and look at all the film last year. Try to improve my game, not just in YAC, but in different areas,” said Waddle, who has previously noted on the I Am Athlete podcast, which the South Florida Sun Sentinel participated in, that he wants to increase his yards after catch. “Knowledge of the game, identifying defenses faster, things like that. When you go back and look at it, when you self-evaluate, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing all offseason.”
Hill, Waddle and new free agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson are all capable of playing in the slot.
Wilson played it most last season with the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s also the tallest of the bunch at 6-foot-2, something Tagovailoa said last week surprised him when he met him. The trio, along with tight end Mike Gesicki, who lined up in abundance in the slot last season, figure to rotate between that alignment and playing on the boundary.
Waddle said receivers are still in the early stages of learning new coach Mike McDaniel’s offense, before they start figuring out how often pass catchers will line up in different spots.
“We’re still in a learning process. We’re trying to get the formations and the basics of the offense down,” Waddle said. “It’s different schemes, different offense. How we line up, where we line up, splits going to be important. So, just knowing the ins and outs of the offense is going to be important.”
With the unit versatile in how it can line up, it could figure to create confusion for defenses, and the yards after catch can often come more easily as space opens up from the vertical threats that Hill and Waddle present with their speed.
“We all know Cheetah is fast,” said Waddle of Hill, who has been clocked as hitting the fastest in-game speed in the NFL. “I’m known for being a speed guy. I think it’s something that’s going to be helpful to open up different things in the offense. Just knowing they have to respect the vertical threat.”
As for that race to really determine who’s faster: “You just can’t race a cheetah straight up. You got to sneak up on him,” Waddle said.