Malik Washington in the mix for Dolphins No. 3 WR job

The Dolphins selected Virginia WR Malik Washington in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. A three-star recruit out of Georgia, Washington spent his first four years with an underwhelming Northwestern offense. He finished second on the team in catches and yards in 2021, then jumped to the team lead in both categories in 2022. The primary slot still tallied just 65-701-1 as a senior – but his underlying metrics at least supplied some promise. Washington posted a tiny 1.5% drop rate on 101 targets. He also forced 24 missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Last fall, we saw Washington’s best upon transferring to Virginia. The 5’8, 191-pounder crushed previous career highs with 111 catches, 1,384 yards, and 9 TDs. In fact, the yardage ranked fifth in the country. He excelled in contested situations and again proved slippery after the catch. Perhaps most impressive: Washington’s 3.15 yards per route run, which slotted 11th in a sample of 200 WRs. While undersized, Washington has the explosive ability to attract targets out of the slot. Note his 42.5-inch vertical and 10’6” broad jump from the Combine. WRs Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will continue to dominate targets in Miami. But Washington has a real shot to win the No. 3 WR job at some point this season. His competition: Braxton Berrios, River Cracraft, and Erik Ezukanma.