After losing Jaylen Waddle via trade, the Miami Dolphins took a pair of receivers in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft. While they selected Chris Bell later on Day 2, Caleb Douglas was the first wideout they took at pick No. 75.
Douglas is different than any recent receiver the Dolphins have had. Standing at 6-foot-4 and running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, Douglas brings a good mix of size and speed. The intangibles are there, but can Douglas figure out everything else?
Concerns about his catching ability and route running can’t be overlooked. However, the Dolphins believe in his athleticism and untapped potential.
Douglas played collegiately at both the University of Florida and Texas Tech. Across his career, he appeared in 40 games and totaled 135 receptions for 2,031 yards and 16 touchdowns. He began at Florida, but with little success, he transferred after his sophomore year.
At Texas Tech from 2024–25, he had his most productive seasons, including about 60 catches for 877 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 and 54 catches for 846 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. Overall, he developed into a steady deep-threat receiver, averaging around 15 yards per catch over his college career.
General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan believes Douglas could get stronger to improve his ability to get off the press and make more contested catches.
“He’s got a long, rangy body. He’s got some very raw athleticism,” Sullivan said of Douglas. “I think what you’ll see for a tall, long-limbed receiver, long legs, long arms, he can really drop his weight. He’s got great flexibility. He’s got good athleticism and ball skills to adjust the ball in the air.
“He’s got to get stronger. If you were going to try to knock him on something, he’s got to get stronger, be able to get off press and make some of the contested balls, but if you just said, hey, what’s one thing that jumps out? I thought you could really see it at his pro day and his workout, he’s pretty sudden and flexible to be able to drop his weight and snap down getting in and out of breaks for a long limb athlete.”
Sullivan has given Douglas the blueprint to find himself on the field this upcoming season. The wideout is currently 206 pounds, and if Douglas puts up around 9-14 pounds of muscle, Sullivan will feel more confident in his abilities.
There is no doubt that Douglas is a project, but with more time in the gym and continued work on his craft, Sullivan envisions Douglas becoming a third-down target for Malik Willis.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins GM says one draft pick has one area that he needs to improve
Reporting by Julio Vasquez, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
