The Miami Dolphins moved on from Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine this offseason, leaving their wide receiver room rather light, young and inexperienced heading into 2026.
With four rookies (three drafted and one undrafted) joining the position group over the last few months, there’s a need for someone to step up and take over as a leader among the wideouts.
According to third-round pick Caleb Douglas, the first of three wide receivers that Miami took in the 2026 NFL draft, there’s one veteran who’s really showing off leadership qualities before training camp even starts.
“The guys that’s for sure been there, Malik. Malik Washington for sure,” Douglas said on “The Dive Bar” podcast. “Going out there, being in the system every day, especially in the minicamp, OTAs. Going out there and making plays and really just allowing us to be a sponge to him. He’s allowing us to ask him questions. ‘Hey, why did you do this? Why did you do that? How did you do this? How did you do that?’ Really just being receptive to all of the questions, and things like that. I feel Malik Washington is gonna have a year, for sure.”
Washington is just 25 years old and is entering his third year in the NFL, but he’s the longest-tenured player in the room. While he’s still growing and learning in his own right, he’s taking some of these younger guys under his wing because of his familiarity with the system.
That could go a long way for both the rookies and the veteran, as they need to play their best ball this year to help new quarterback Malik Willis find success in the passing game.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins rookie WR reveals which veteran his room looks to as a leader
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