It’s going to be tough for the electric Jaylen Waddle to improve upon his record-breaking rookie season. Waddle broke Anquan Boldin’s rookie reception record with 104, eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark, and even added seven total touchdowns to his resume. The No. 6 overall pick showed his elite YAC abilities all season, turning 5-yard slants into house calls and moving the chains when he had no business doing so.
Now with Mike and Kyle Shanahan’s protégé, Mike McDaniel, calling the shots in Miami, Waddle has a chance to develop into 2022’s version of Deebo Samuel. McDaniel took Deebo’s unicorn skill-set and transformed him into the ultimate Swiss Army Knife weapon. Samuel snagged 77 receptions for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns, leading the league with an 18.2 YPC average. More impressively, he rushed for 365 yards and eight scores on 59 carries.
I’m not here to say Waddle will replicate those absurd numbers, or finish as fantasy’s WR2 in 2022. But, if anyone could imitate Samuel’s impact on the Dolphins offense, it would be Waddle. McDaniel would be insane to give Waddle 60 carries, but he could definitely get more creative with him in the short game and give him the occasional end-around or handoff. The rookie is built more like Percy Harvin (5-foot-9, 180 lbs) than Deebo, who is built like a truck at 5-foot-11 and 215 lbs.
“We’ve got a new position,” Samuel told Lisa Salters during the Pro Bowl. “It’s called wide back. Wide receiver playing running back.”
“I can get the ball. That’s what I really like — the ball in my hands all the time.”
If Ja’Marr Chase did not exist, then we’d be talking about Waddle as the star of his draft class. Waddle finished WR16 and averaged over 12 half PPR points per game as a rookie. Under the McDaniel (Shanahan) scheme, Waddle can be even more dangerous in year two. Expect the Dolphins’ offense to take a much-needed leap forward next season with Waddle as the team’s focal point.
“One game in particular,” McDaniel said about Samuel. “There was a team that played a lot of man coverage, so that was a reason to have him in the backfield to see how they align. But also, Deebo has been making a ton of plays with the ball in his hands, so defenses are aware of that.
“When you do have success at anything, it allows you to anticipate some overplay for things because they better defend it and that opens up other things.”
Check out The Wolf’s 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings to see where Waddle lands on his next update.
