Pick #1 @6 - Jaylen Waddle

"Tin Indian wrote:

Totally agree. Of course we could have taken an offensive tackle we didn't need and then all we would be right with the world. Maybe our receivers like Grant have had magic pixie dust sprinkled on them and have somehow learned how to catch and get open. Maybe Parker will finally take care of himself so a hangnail doesn't take him out for a week or two every season.

Or maybe we could have just taken a WR at pick 18 or in the second round, where lots of great WRs are taken every year.

"mlb1399 wrote:

And wasn’t able to do that for most of last year because he wasn’t healthy. He now joins a stable of WR’s that can’t stay healthy.

I like Waddle and understand he’s got world class speed. I would have no problem taking him several spots lower. Just don’t love this pick at 6.

Players get hurt. It is a violent sport.

"Tin Indian wrote:

Totally agree. Of course we could have taken an offensive tackle we didn't need and then all we would be right with the world. Maybe our receivers like Grant have had magic pixie dust sprinkled on them and have somehow learned how to catch and get open. Maybe Parker will finally take care of himself so a hangnail doesn't take him out for a week or two every season.

We needed a topflite receiver and we got one. The single most pressing need in the draft for us. The addition of Waddle and Fuller makes this a scary group for opposing secondary's. 3 big targets and two guys that can take the top off other teams and they can actually, you know, catch. But yeah, horrible pick.

Not sure how you’re defining “really need” but Jackson rated 75/79 and our other 3 tackles rated 52, 55 and 57. Tua could have the best receivers in the world but if he doesn’t have time to throw or gets injured again, it’s all for naught.

"mlb1399 wrote:

Not sure how you’re defining “really need” but Jackson rated 75/79 and our other 3 tackles rated 52, 55 and 57. Tua could have the best receivers in the world but if he doesn’t have time to throw or gets injured again, it’s all for naught.

Yep. Our front office seems to believe you can throw an offensive line together with spit and bailing wire.

"Tin Indian wrote:

And that's fair enough. My perspective is coming from the end of last season and it was painfully apparent how completely inadequate our receiver room was. The jury is out on Tua but the thing is we really don't know what we have with him yet but we do know the receivers have to be better for whoever we have at QB to succeed. The Oline was not real good last year but we started 3 rookies that got 4 weeks of training camp instead of the MONTHS they normally get and they struggled a bit which should have been expected and Flowers couldn't pick up a stunt to save his mother. Well we don't have to worry about Flowers any longer and last years 3 rookies will get a full off season program this year. With a year of experience under their belt and the off season they should improve greatly this year. To have jumped the shark and grabbed Sewell would have been a mistake. We will know for sure at the end of this season if one or two or all of these guys are going to need to be replaced. I do expect we will draft a young Center this year and most likely in the 2nd. Dickerson perhaps.

I understand what they're thinking and if he stays healthy and becomes a Tyreek Hill kind of player I'm fine with what they have done. I just don't see it happening and that it's too big of a gamble especially when they could have picked Sewell at 6 and they could have gone after a R. Moore or somebody else later on if they wanted a shifty quick slot receiver or they could have traded down a few spots and then pick Waddle(maybe no one wanted to trade though). We'll see I hope I like the rest of our draft better, then what we did in round 1.

He broke an ankle. Anybody can do that in football. It’s not like an ACL. Geez. Injury prone like Joe Burrow I guess LOL.

"Rick 1966 wrote:

Yep. Our front office seems to believe you can throw an offensive line together with spit and bailing wire.

Remember that when we drafted Jackson, Hunt, etc. they were projected as projects that probably would not have started in other places last year. Instead, they come to Miami and take some lumps as they figure out the system on the fly. That's not a bad thing in my opinion since you can't replace NFL-level experience...they'll only improve this season.

To me, the much larger problem last year was Tua throwing to 4th and 5th stringers who couldn't get any separation down the stretch of the season. Waddle and Fuller will solve that problem and that takes some burden off the line. I'm expecting a fairly big leap this season in offensive production just from these guys being able to get open faster with clear throwing lanes. It also makes a big difference for players like Gisecki and Parker since the over the top coverage won't shift their direction as frequently.

I do think we grab a few linemen in the mid-rounds and I'm really hoping for one of the NC running backs; that will give us a "complete" offense that can really move the chains. Combine that with the way our defense played last year and this could be a scary-good team this season.

THREAD (click the Tweet for the full thing):

I wasn't a Waddle fan, but I'll say this about the criticism or lack of value placed on the Alabama receivers this year - weren't these the receivers who were so good they supposedly masked an average Tua and made him look elite?

If that's the case, then we should be fired up about those guys, including Waddle. If not, then let's go Tua! And if it was the combination then.... :)

I mean, we have to scrape the bottom of rather lovely barrel in order to dig up some crud. I'd prefer we pour the cider and have a good time!

"Galant wrote:

I wasn't a Waddle fan, but I'll say this about the criticism or lack of value placed on the Alabama receivers this year - weren't these the receivers who were so good they supposedly masked an average Tua and made him look elite?

If that's the case, then we should be fired up about those guys, including Waddle. If not, then let's go Tua! And if it was the combination then.... :)

I mean, we have to scrape the bottom of rather lovely barrel in order to dig up some crud. I'd prefer we pour the cider and have a good time!

For me it’s not that I don’t think they were worthy of 1st round picks, I just didn’t think they were worthy of #6. Four or six spots lower with some additional draft capital, all day long.

"KeyFin wrote:

Remember that when we drafted Jackson, Hunt, etc. they were projected as projects that probably would not have started in other places last year. Instead, they come to Miami and take some lumps as they figure out the system on the fly. That's not a bad thing in my opinion since you can't replace NFL-level experience...they'll only improve this season.

Yeah, and instead of doing something risky like that, why not simply take O linemen who are already NFL ready? It's a symptom of Grier trying to get tricky. He needs to play it safe.

"muskrat21 wrote:

are short WR's that suck at catching and muff punts in that high of demand?

I think you are using the word "receiver" loosely. He has always just been a returner. Could someone want him for a late round pick? Maybe.

"mlb1399 wrote:

Not sure how you’re defining “really need” but Jackson rated 75/79 and our other 3 tackles rated 52, 55 and 57. Tua could have the best receivers in the world but if he doesn’t have time to throw or gets injured again, it’s all for naught.

No one on this forum has banged the drum more often or louder than me over the years about the need to invest in the oline. You can search my posts. My point is they did last year but the people they drafted had no off season conditioning program, no rookie camp, no OTA's - nothing. They had 4 weeks just before the season started to try to get in shape and learn what they needed. I know "but other teams started rookies on the line and they did good". Not three of them they didn't. There is no way based on last year and the "grades" that anyone can possibly know what these guys can be. They may be garbage, they may be great. Maybe only one or two are either but no one can possibly know. You wait until after this season and evaluate then. If they need to be replaced, you can replace them then. My belief is they will be far better this year than they were last year. We don't need a great offensive line, we just need a good one.

I legit hate this pick so much. Our oline still sucks and we had sewell on the board and if they wanted to go wr you had a better player in smith. I dont want to hear anyone say smith only put up good numbers because waddle got hurt. Smith had a 5 TD game when tua, jeudy, ruggs and all the boys were still on that team. Waddle never dominated games while in college. Smith did under 2 different qbs. We basically drafted a super speedster like we are al davis or something. I hope he ends up amazing but this pick really pissed me off.

"Rouk wrote:

I legit hate this pick so much. Our oline still sucks and we had sewell on the board and if they wanted to go wr you had a better player in smith. I dont want to hear anyone say smith only put up good numbers because waddle got hurt. Smith had a 5 TD game when tua, jeudy, ruggs and all the boys were still on that team. Waddle never dominated games while in college. Smith did under 2 different qbs. We basically drafted a super speedster like we are al davis or something. I hope he ends up amazing but this pick really pissed me off.

Well I don't hate it at all but if I really had my preference of the two it would have been Smith. I think Smith is the superior route runner, is quick and fast, has great hands and KNOWS how to get open. But I am in no way down on Waddle, I just think Smith was/is better.

If the Comps to Tyreek Hill come to fruition I will quickly change my mind about that.

"Tin Indian wrote:

No one on this forum has banged the drum more often or louder than me over the years about the need to invest in the oline. You can search my posts. My point is they did last year but the people they drafted had no off season conditioning program, no rookie camp, no OTA's - nothing. They had 4 weeks just before the season started to try to get in shape and learn what they needed. I know "but other teams started rookies on the line and they did good". Not three of them they didn't. There is no way based on last year and the "grades" that anyone can possibly know what these guys can be. They may be garbage, they may be great. Maybe only one or two are either but no one can possibly know. You wait until after this season and evaluate then. If they need to be replaced, you can replace them then. My belief is they will be far better this year than they were last year. We don't need a great offensive line, we just need a good one.

Honestly, I might have beaten that drum louder than you...line has been a problem for decades. But I felt the exact same way this draft and did not "want" Sewell. I wouldn't have been upset if he was the pick, but at the same time I didn't think we had to have him like in recent years. We have a lot of young talent that needs some time to grow. I'm not saying we're set at line, but I think we have a solid foundation that will serve us well in the future.

"Galant wrote:

Tua to Waddle #FinsUp https://t.co/Tt943hVSEN

— KD (@notkdk3) April 30, 2021

I know this makes me look like a homer, but looking at Tua throwing to Waddle and Jones throwing to Waddle, Tua throws a much more accurate and prettier ball.

Last season the only team with a shittier wr corps than us were the Bears. We couldnt separate worth a damn... now Waddle is gonna command help to cover him leaving a lot of 1 on 1 matchups with Fuller, Devante and Gesicki...

still wish we got Najee... we would have completed the package for our offense..

"Galant wrote:

Tua to Waddle #FinsUp https://t.co/Tt943hVSEN

— KD (@notkdk3) April 30, 2021

Love that play vs AM. Guy is cutting and doesn't slow down at all

This guy is not Ted Ginn

I've changed my mind on the pick. I didn't like it at first, but the more I watch of this kid, the more I see Tyreek Hill, Santana Moss, Antonio Brown, Steve Smith. I don't see Tedd Ginn, Tavon Austin, or Roscoe Parish. I see a tough football player than can take the top off the defense. I like his route running too, this kid can stop and go on a dime. It's a great pick. Our receiving core suddenly looks very dangerous. Let me just say that I don't want him returning kicks of any kind. Maybe a punt return here and there, but the last thing we need is for him to get hurt doing that. I hope we can find a way to keep Grant through all of this.

https://www.thephinsider.com/2021/4/30/22412235/by-any-measure-waddle-at-six-is-a-disaster

"In any marketplace, whether it’s the supermarket, an automobile showroom, or a draft, you base your purchases on three basic elements: supply, demand, and cost. With a huge supply of receivers who are still available, even as I write this, several likely future Pro Bowlers that were still on the board, and two more quarterbacks still left, spending that kind of coin to take Waddle with the sixth overall pick was just a boneheaded move, period."

This article does a great job of explaining why I (and others) don't understand CG logic in selecting Waddle. I hope the kid is Tyreke Hill 2.0. I have to... Even if he does, it's still problematic because the decision making is flawed.