DAVIE, Fla. — Receiver Jaylen Waddle is headed to Miami to provide a target for his former Alabama teammate, Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins selected Waddle with the sixth overall pick Thursday night, choosing him over another Alabama receiver, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. It’s the highest Miami has ever taken a receiver.
Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2020, became Miami’s No. 1 QB in Week 8 and went 6-3 as the starter, but coach Brian Flores benched him in two games.
The speedy, 5-foot-9, 180-pound Waddle played in only six games last season because of a broken left ankle.
Miami originally had the No. 3 overall pick, but general manager Chris Grier traded down to 12th and then back up to sixth.
Since 2018, Grier has selected three other Alabama players in the first two rounds: Tagovailoa, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Dolphins also held the 18th pick in the first round, and remained in the market for an edge rusher and running back.
Upon hiring Flores two years ago, owner Stephen Ross pledged to build through the draft, and that remains the approach after the Dolphins doubled their 2019 win total to 10 last year. They took a low-key approach to free agency, offering mostly one-year deals.
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