The Miami Dolphins‘ wide receiver room entered this offseason with a dire need for some more size.

So much so that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters at the 2026 NFL Combine that they could expect to see some diversification in the room this offseason. So you can imagine everyone’s surprise when Tutu Atwell, who is 5-foot-8, got his name called as a new Dolphin this week. As the saying goes, it takes more than one data point for a trend. Miami’s newest wide receiver is a bigger player — former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has agreed to terms with Miami. I tabbed my A to Z Sports colleague Mauricio Rodriguez, our Dallas beat writer, for his assessment of the new Dolphins receiver.

Grading WR Jalen Tolbert’s signing with the Miami Dolphins

“Jalen Tolbert was supposed to take a big step forward in 2025 thanks to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens drawing opposing defense’s focus. That didn’t quite happen. Instead, Tolbert tumbled down the depth chart to the point of being a healthy scratch late in the year.

Perhaps a fresh start is what he needs. Tolbert, though not the best route runner, has shown he can make the tough catches and he has no shortage of “wow” moments in his first four years in the league (see his sideline grab in the Cowboys’ 2025 tie to the Green Bay Packers).

For him, it’s about being more consistent and reliable as a pass catcher. That includes cutting down on the mental mistakes that were often an issue for him in Dallas. The talent is there, however.” — Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports Dallas

The Dolphins aren’t going to need Tolbert, who is 6-foot-1, and 195 pounds, to be CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens. They’re not going to need him to be Jaylen Waddle or Tyreek Hill, either. They simply need him to be a reliable secondary option for the Dolphins’ pass catchers who does dirty work without the football.

He’s not a particularly dynamic player but he has baseline NFL speed and he’s spent the past few seasons developing his route running after leaving South Alabama as a downfield weapon who won primarily on deep targets. That player development will be tested in 2026; as the Dolphins don’t have two dominant wide receivers to gobble up the target share this season for quarterback Malik Willis.

Grading the fit

If Miami can get the 2024 version of Tolbert, this will be a good signing. That version of Tolbert posted 49 receptions for 610 yards and 7 touchdowns. But as Rodriguez outlined, Tolbert seemed to regress throughout the year last year, making him a bit of a high-variance signing.

The risk is well worth the potential reward. As of now, I’ll grade this as an average signing. But I would not be surprised to see Tolbert serve a meaningful role in Miami’s pass game in 2026. It will be up to him to push this grade north — as it’s probably a safe bet that the cost Miami paid here won’t endanger this fit to become a wasteful signing. The terms of his contract are, currently, unknown.

GRADE: C+

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