‘He is the No. 1 wide receiver’—Long-time NFL star is ready to call the race for the Miami Dolphins’ leading receiver
One long-time NFL star is ready to call the race for the Miami Dolphins’ No. 1 wide receiver.
The Miami Dolphins‘ pecking order of wide receivers? Your guess is as good as mine. We’ve seen some separation throughout training camp and the preseason for rookie Caleb Douglas and veteran Malik Washington from the rest of the pack.
But fellow rookies Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. missed chunks of camp due to injury and may ultimately have something to say about it, too. Long-time NFL star Steve Smith Sr. got an up close look at Miami’s young room — and even offered them some words of encouragement during camp. Now? He’s put a flag in the ground for the Miami Dolphins’ WR1.
Steve Smith Sr. declares Malik Washington to be the Miami Dolphins’ top wide receiver this season
“(Malik Washington) is the No. 1 wide receiver in the room. And I think they did a really good job of moving him around in the preseason game to show you…that he is there to stay. They are okay with where he is. He will be a huge contributor and they love his growth and what he’s been able to do. He’s a blue-collar worker. Lunch pail. He brings his hard hat, he brings his lunch pail. And what is asked of him? ‘Yes sir, no sir.’ And what is done is ‘I got it’.”
— Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.
Washington’s been a peripheral piece of the puzzle for the Miami Dolphins over the past two seasons. 2026 marks a massive opportunity for him to show that he’s capable of being much more. One thing working in his favor is the adjustment from being a “schemed touch” player to a legitimate part of a working progression. And Miami no longer boasts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle atop their depth chart — meaning Washington should end up earlier in the progression and, hopefully, yield more productive targets.
He’s got a believer in Smith Sr. and that counts for something. A 1,000 yard receiver? Probably not. I’m not sure any Dolphins player will touch that stratosphere this season. But Miami’s WR1? Smith Sr. thinks so. And I’m inclined to think he’s right that Washington will lead this team in targets. Barring, of course, a rookie surprise.
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