The Miami Dolphins failed to make the playoffs in 2021, but they got some great performances from some of their younger players.
Miami’s got at least 16 games from four of their rookies, and three of them performed at or above the expectations set for them in their first season.
First-rounders Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips both set team records for rookies, and the former set a league record for rookies. Safety Jevon Holland looked like a seasoned veteran in the secondary, doing everything he could to make an impact on just about every play. And left tackle Liam Eichenberg started 16 games spread between three positions, but he wasn’t the player the Dolphins hoped they were getting.
NFL.com’s Gennaro Filice took some time this week to grade the rookie classes in the AFC East, and Miami received an ‘A-‘ which tied them with New England for the best group in 2021.
Here’s what Filice wrote about the Dolphins rookies:
“The NFL is typically the great equalizer for college football gamebreakers. In the pro game, everyone’s freakishly athletic. And yet, watching Waddle on Sundays felt just like watching Waddle on Saturdays, with the same thought invariably springing to mind: That guy just looks different. In a sea of physical marvels, Waddle’s explosiveness still stands out. Every touch puts you on the edge of your seat. And while the Alabama product set a rookie record with 104 catches, somehow he seemed underutilized. Peppered with quick throws throughout his rookie campaign, Waddle rarely had the opportunity to showcase his downfield dynamism. (Don’t let the 5-foot-10, 182-pound frame fool you — Waddle has no problem making contested catches.) Here’s hoping the new coaching staff unlocks MAXIMUM WADDLE in 2022. Mike McDaniel’s recent words on the receiver inspire confidence: “I would start him in fantasy.”
Waddle wasn’t the only Year 1 stud from this Dolphins draft class, either. Displaying the kind of versatility today’s NFL teams covet in the safety position, Holland stuffed the stat sheet with 68 tackles, 10 passes defensed, seven QB hits, two fumble recoveries, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. The second-rounder posted the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade in the entire rookie class, only trailing Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja’Marr Chase, Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons and egregious Pro Bowl snub Creed Humphrey. Meanwhile, Phillips really came on in the back half of the season, finishing with 8.5 sacks and earning a spot alongside Waddle and Holland on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.
On the down side, Eichenberg continued a recent Dolphins tradition of throwing a rookie O-lineman into the fire and watching him suffer fourth-degree burns. A 16-game starter, Eichenberg committed 10 penalties and gave up nine sacks as one of the leakiest bookends in the NFL.”
If Miami can build on this with another solid draft in 2022, they should be primed to fight for a wild card spot.
