Jaylen Waddle was born and raised in Bellair, Texas, right outside of Houston. At Episcopal High School, he became an All-American football player. Many prestigious schools offered him a scholarship, and he opted to attend the University of Alabama. As a true freshman, Waddle started as a punt returner and made a significant contribution as a receiver. His 45 receptions, 848 yards, and seven scores were enough to earn him SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Following a sophomore slump, he hit the ground running in year three. He averaged 139.3 receiving yards and a touchdown per game through the first four contests. Unfortunately, Waddle broke his ankle in a game against Tennessee. He would come back to play a limited role in the National Championship victory against Ohio State.
Jaylen Waddle opted to forgo his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. His ankle looked strong as he ran a blazing 4.37 second 40 time at his Pro Day. His measurables were underwhelming, with both his 74⅝-inch wingspan and 9⅛-inch hands measuring well below average. His college stats raised questions as he had two average seasons and a major injury. However, what Waddle displayed on film at Alabama was what mattered most to scouts. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 Draft.
Waddle saw the field early for the Dolphins in his rookie season, playing 379 (No. 15) snaps in the slot and running 542 (No. 10) routes. He didn’t see many deep balls, recording just 6.3 Air Yards per target. The nature of Miami’s pass game and Waddle’s open field prowess rendered him a PPR monster, however. He racked up 104 (No. 7) receptions, creating 443 (No. 10) yards after the catch on a 24.8-percent (No. 17) Target Share. Collecting at least seven receptions in 12 of 16 games earned him a WR13 fantasy ranking to close out his rookie season, certainly paying off after his 90.5 ADP.
The Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill before the 2022 season. Combined with Mike McDaniels' well-designed scheme and Tua Tagovailoa's hyper-accurate passing, Hill and Waddle help make up one of the most feared passing attacks in the NFL. Waddle was No. 1 in the league among receivers in Yards Per Reception with 18.1 in 2022. He was also No. 3 in the league with 89.2 Expected Points Added. Waddle continued with his third 1,000-yard seasons in as many seasons in 2023. His FPPG fell to 14.2 (No. 21), but he continued to be efficient, notching 2.68 (No. 10) YPRR and +69.7 (No. 9) EPA.
