MIAMI GARDENS ― Caleb Douglas has already given the Dolphins something they badly needed: a rookie receiver who plays like he belongs.
The third-round pick out of Texas Tech came back from an ankle injury in Week 7 and immediately changed the feel of Miami’s offense, catching two touchdowns from Malik Willis in the win over the Jets, including a 63-yarder. It was the kind of breakout that gets people talking fast, and in the Dolphins locker room this week, the conversation got loud enough to reach an all-time great comparison.
Jason Marshall, Jr. didn’t flinch when asked whether Douglas could resemble Randy Moss.
"I grew up on watching YouTube and stuff, so I've seen the Randy Moss highlights," Marshall said. "You know, Randy Moss is a Hall of Famer, so take some time to get to that level. But like I said, it's a good comparison."
The numbers make the comparison easy to see. Moss was 6-foot-4, 210 pounds.
Douglas is 6-foot-4, 208 pounds. Both are long, wiry and built to stress defenders vertically.
Moss probably had more speed, but the overlap is obvious enough: long strides, separation ability, huge catch radius, and the kind of body control that turns a contested throw into a big play.
Marshall expanded on it when asked again.
"He's got so many traits, man," Marshall said of Douglas. "He's a shifty guy, being at 6'3, 6'4, the way that he moves, he's elusive, got good range and speed.
I mean, it's so many traits that he have. I mean, yeah, and obviously you see it paid dividends on Sunday."
Douglas, for his part, has been dreaming about a different kind of deep ball. He said he wants to throw a 60-yard touchdown pass in the NFL.
"To Malik Willis," Douglas was saying this week, in the Dolphins locker room.
That connection clearly meant something to Willis too.
"Getting my boy back right," Willis said of Douglas, who had missed three games with an ankle injury. "It was awesome."
Douglas said he played quarterback when he was younger, so his receiver obsession came later. The players he grew up watching were Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, Jameson Williams and Chris Olave. Now he’s giving Miami a rookie season that already looks like a hit.
Through just three games, Douglas leads the Dolphins with 61.5 yards per game. He is also the team’s only player with two receiving touchdowns, both coming against the Jets, and he’s the only NFL rookie to score twice in the same game this season.
After that game in New Jersey, Douglas got to keep both footballs. He said they’re already in display cases. And the celebration after the win stuck with him just as much.
"It was like a movie," Douglas recalled with a smile.
Miami seemed to know fairly early in the summer that it had something here, even if the pick drew skepticism from draft analysts at the time. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan took the swing, and the early returns have made it look sharp.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik pointed to Douglas’ route running and footwork as major reasons why.
"(Caleb's) a really talented route runner, you know what I mean?" said Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
"I think that part of it comes natural to him, he's got really good feet, he's got a huge catch radius, his touchdowns. I mean his first touchdown (against the Jets) was pretty filthy route, you know what I mean?
That's just hard. Like, that's just hard for anybody to cover."
Slowik also said Douglas brought more than just receiving skill in the last game. He was aggressive throughout, including in the run game, and that edge is part of what Miami likes.
"I think he plays with an attitude and intent," said Slowik, adding he loves when Douglas demonstrates an "edge" on the field.
Douglas and Chris Bell, the two receivers Miami took in the third round this year, have brought that same confident tone to the room. It isn’t about disrespect. It’s about belief.
Aaron Brewer sees it that way too. The Dolphins center called Douglas a great player with the right approach and praised how he carries himself.
"His routine is crazy and he's very consistent with it," Brewer said. "And so, he's a rookie, but behind what you see on the field, it is him being a vet off the field."
Miami gets New England next at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. on CBS. The Dolphins are 1-5, the Patriots are 4-3, and Douglas will enter the game as one of the clearest bright spots on a struggling team.
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