Impactful rookies in the NFL are most often seen at a number of critical spots, including young quarterbacks and young pass rushers. We saw that exact scenario play out this past year with Justin Herbert’s record-setting performance in 2020 and Chase Young’s big year to help the Washington Football Team to a division title. But there was also a big year from Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, who put up whopping numbers as the No. 2 receiver with the Vikings.
You never know who is going to blow up. But you can give it your best guess!
And that’s exactly what NFL.com’s panel did for the 2021 NFL draft, but with a catch: their choices had to be non-quarterbacks. Some selections, like Brian Baldinger’s were for a trench player in Alijah Vera-Tucker who is a near lock to start all season. But others went with a more bold and ambitious approach, including former No. 1 overall pick David Carr — who chose a Miami Dolphin.
“I’ll keep this short and sweet. Jaylen Waddle is going to be the reason Tua Tagovailoa is considered Miami’s franchise quarterback after this season.” — David Carr, NFL.com
Carr’s choice isn’t just indicative that Waddle is going to have a monster year, it’s suggesting that Tua Tagovailoa is going to have a monster year in large part because of Waddle’s addition to the offense. Should that reality materialize for the Dolphins, the sky is the limit as far as how much team success the 2021 Dolphins will find for themselves.
But if Tagovailoa goes from a promising rookie with some ups and downs in his play and evolves into an unquestioned franchise quarterback in Year 2 and Waddle is the critical piece of the puzzle, than it will be officially time to consider the Dolphins’ Super Bowl window open for the first time in a long time.
We need to see it first, of course. But we’ll be sure to remember Carr calling his shot if this indeed is spoken into existence by the former top pick.