Douglas a starter on initial depth chart

Douglas has seemingly secured a starting role in his rookie season. The big-bodied downfield wide receiver looked good in the first preseason game and played just three snaps in the second one. The Dolphins are expected to field a run-heavy offense, but Douglas could warrant FLEX treatment before long. He should be targeted late in drafts.

Douglas is worth a late-round pick. Dolphins QB Malik Willis attempted five passes tonight, sending two his way. Both of Douglas’ targets were downfield throws. Douglas erred on the first. After managing to get wide open, running toward the right sideline, the rookie wide receiver experienced a blip in his spatial awareness and ended up securing the pass while stepping out of bounds. Willis gave him another chance on a vertical route from the slot, firing a long ball to the lanky receiver downfield. Douglas fought contact with his right hand while high-pointing the pass with his left, and critically retained possession as he landed hard on his back. The third-round rookie looks good.

In a recent NFL Network segment, Wolfe discussed two rookies that he will be watching next week in training camp “who could make a big Year 1 impact.” On the defensive side of the ball, Wolfe understandably lists first-round rookie CB Chris Johnson. On the offensive side, Wolfe lists Douglas, a third-round rookie. All of the Dolphins’ wide receiver roles are wide open. Passing production could be volatile in the Dolphins’ offense, but Douglas is a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

It’s a multi-round reach for the Dolphins, who are desperate for receiver production after dealing Jaylen Waddle to Denver last month. Douglas had a meager 43rd percentile wideout dominator rating at Texas tech. Douglas (6’4”/206) spent the first two seasons of his career at Florida playing as a backup, but after transferring to Texas Tech in 2024, he found himself in a full-time starter role. Douglas has impressive speed for a player of his size, blazing a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, while earning a 9.50 RAS. Despite a good catch radius and a 79-inch wingspan, Douglas struggled on contested targets throughout his career and displayed inconsistent hands on uncontested targets, posting an 8.2 percent drop rate for his career and an 11.5 percent drop rate in his final season.