Malik Washington is heading into his third NFL season, but he’s already become the dean of the wide receiver room in Miami.
Washington is the only returning receiver who played a significant role for the Dolphins in 2025 as Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Cedrick Wilson are all off the roster this spring. The Dolphins signed Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert to give them a little more experience, but the consensus view of the group is a dim one.
On Tuesday, Washington told reporters that the outside view is not taking into account the desire he and other wideouts have “to showcase what they can do” in 2026.
“Each guy in that room knows there’s a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Washington said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “We all want to be the guy. We all wanted to bring in the targets and, you know, play well on Sundays.”
The Dolphins will likely add to their options before the draft is over on Saturday, but it seems less likely that the expectations for the passing game are going to change significantly. That doesn’t seem to bother Washington as he looks forward to his chance to seize a bigger profile this fall.
It’s just a matter of time before the NFL draft produces its own Thornton Melon.
The implosion of the various antitrust violations masquerading as NCAA rules has made it easier than ever for players with remaining eligibility to return to college. Last year, the NCAA gave James Nnaji four years of eligibility even though he’d been selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
At some point, a drafted NFL player will make the business decision to go back to school.
Unless and until the fat cats get the federal government to throw them an undeserved lifeline, college players will enjoy maximum earning potential and mobility. The current climate creates an opportunity for a drafted player with options at the college level to choose to return to a level of football that is just as professional as the NFL.
Last year, as Shedeur Sanders plummeted through Day 2 of the draft, we explained that — at some point — it made sense for him to tap out of the process and return to Colorado (or another program). It became one of the most-read articles in the 24-year history of the platform.
There was also a question as to whether Quinn Ewers would do the same thing, once he fell to round seven.
In the end, neither tried. But that was before it became even more clear that a viable path exists.
This year, the player to watch is quarterback Ty Simpson. He recently said he could have made $6.5 million for another year of college football. That’s roughly equal to the average annual pay for the sixth overall pick in the draft.
Simpson is regarded as a possible first-round pick. If he isn’t taken in round one, he has 18 hours to consider his situation. And while most college programs have already lined up their players for 2026, someone will surely want him if he decides to go back. And while $6.5 million would be hard to get back on the table, Simpson could get a lot more than he’d receive as a second-round pick. (Last year, the contract signed by the first player taken in round two averaged $2.1 million per year.)
The key for Simpson would be to make a clear and loud declaration that he’s exiting the draft process. If he’s drafted and returns to school, that team will continue to hold his rights in the spot where he was picked, once he comes to the NFL. If he’s going to tap out, he needs to do so in a way that prompts no one to draft him.
The problem is that, the longer he lingers, the more attractive it will become financially to squat on his rights and hold them for 2027.
Regardless, a Triple Lindy into the college football pool remains possible. It was for Sanders and Ewers. It is for Simpson. And it will continue to be one for any player who slides farther in the draft than he expected.
The World Cup is coming soon. And it’s quickly becoming a pain in the posterior for the 13 teams playing in stadiums that will be commandeered for intercontinental soccer.
Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal recently reviewed some of the practical impacts of FIFA bigfooting the various venues where fútbol will be played. This week, for example, the Jets and Giants will move their annual draft parties away from MetLife Stadium to Manhattan.
In all, 13 teams are impacted by the World Cup: the Cowboys, Jets, Giants, Falcons, Chiefs, Texans, 49ers, Chargers, Rams, Eagles, Seahawks, Patriots, and Dolphins.
For the teams that have employees at the stadiums hosting World Cup games, many will be moved. Those who are staying put will be subject to FIFA credentialing to get into their workplaces. And the Giants will start training camp in West Virginia, since MetLife Stadium will be hosting the final match on July 19 on a grass field that will need to be removed and replaced with one of the worst artificial surfaces in the entire league.
That last part still has to be the most galling for NFL players. Owners with stadiums that don’t have grass have bent over backwards to do whatever had to be done to placate FIFA. Their regular employees, however, will still be stuck with a lesser (and far cheaper) playing surface.
The various sacrifices involuntarily made by the players and other team employees should prompt FIFA to give them all a phony, made-up award. Especially since FIFA has already done that, for far less.
In 2025, every NFL team entered the draft with its first-round pick still in place. This year is a whole lot different.
The 2026 NFL draft now has six teams with two first-round picks and six teams with no first-round picks, after the Bengals traded their first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence.
Of the teams with two first-round picks, the Giants are in the best position to make significant additions to their roster, as both their picks are in the Top 10: Their own first-round pick is No. 5 overall and the Bengals’ first-round pick is No. 10 overall.
The Dolphins have their own pick (No. 11) as well as the Broncos’ pick (No. 30) from the Jaylen Waddle trade.
The Jets have their own pick (No. 2) and the Colts’ pick (No. 16) from the Sauce Gardner trade.
The Cowboys have their own pick (No. 12) and the Packers’ pick (No. 20) from the Micah Parsons trade.
The Chiefs have their own pick (No. 9) and the Rams’ pick (No. 29) from the Trent McDuffie trade.
The Browns have their own pick (No. 6) and the Jaguars’ pick (No. 24) from the draft-day trade a year ago that allowed the Jaguars to move up to draft Travis Hunter.
A seventh team was poised to get a second first-round pick when the Raiders agreed to trade Maxx Crosby to the Ravens, but that trade fell through and the Ravens kept their first-round pick.
Six teams don’t have a first-round pick: The Bengals, Broncos, Falcons, Colts, Packers and Jaguars.
All of the teams with two first-round picks missed the playoffs this year. They’re looking to rebuild their rosters, and hoping they’ll look back in a few years and say having two first-round picks was a big part of turning their teams around.
The Dolphins hosted defensive end A.J. Epenesa on a free agent visit, according to the NFL’s transactions report on Thursday.
Epenesa agreed to terms with the Browns on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million last month. Epenesa failed his physical, though, and the Browns withdrew the contract.
It is unclear what injury caused the Browns concern.
He had a concussion, a pectoral injury, a foot injury and a neck injury last season. Epenesa still played 16 regular-season games in 2025, recording 32 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
He also played the divisional playoff game despite being listed on the injury report with a neck injury.
A second-round pick in 2020, Epenesa has spent his career with the Bills. He has appeared in 91 regular-season games, with 19 starts, and has totaled 24 sacks.
