Douglas a starter on initial depth chart

In preseason play, Douglas showed a real knack for getting open downfield, whether stretching the seam from the slot or working along the sideline, particularly during the scramble drill. Those traits showed up again today. The rookie wide receiver delivered multiple double-digit gains. Douglas snagged a 25-yarder on 2nd-and-26 after getting open for QB Malik Willis, who had rolled out of the pocket, evading defenders. The play set up a successful field goal attempt, giving the Dolphins their first points of the day. He helped set up the Dolphins’ next successful field goal on the following drive by snagging a 30-yard pass on an in-breaking route from the slot. Douglas is officially on the FLEX radar on volume against the 49ers next week.

“We believe those guys deserve to start, and we’re gonna start them,” was Hafley’s matter-of-fact Wednesday statement. His words come after the ‘Fins officially listed the third-round rookies as starters on Tuesday. His “pitch count” comments pertain to Bell’s summer stint on the NFI list as he completed his recovery from torn ACL suffered last season at Louisville. Starting a pair of Day 2 receivers in Week 1 is far from ideal for anybody, but no less so than trotting out Jalen Tolbert. The Dolphins are fully committed to their rebuild, and rookies like Bell, Douglas and Kevin Coleman are the biggest potential beneficiaries. Bell and Douglas belong on 12-team league watch lists, with Coleman worth a dynasty stash.

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.