Caleb Douglas is starting to look like more than a long-shot project in Dolphins camp.
That matters in Miami because the receiver room has been under a microscope all offseason. With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle gone as part of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan’s teardown of the roster, the group entered the 2026 NFL Draft in rough shape, and plenty of people around the league viewed it as one of the weakest positional units anywhere.
Douglas was Sullivan’s first swing at fixing it. The Dolphins took the Texas Tech receiver 75th overall, a pick that drew plenty of raised eyebrows from draft analysts who saw it as one of the biggest reaches on Day 2. Sullivan, at least, appeared to be betting on the athletic upside.
The early camp returns are making that bet look a lot more interesting.
Douglas is still a rookie, and nobody should lock in a Week 1 role based on a couple of strong practices. But after two weeks of training camp, he’s putting together enough good work to force the conversation. He has stacked multiple impressive days, and his strongest showing came Friday.
According to Dolphins reporter Travis Wingfield, Douglas beat defenders for several downfield catches from Malik Willis during both one-on-ones and the 11-on-11 period. The biggest play of the day was a 40-yard strike from Willis dropped between the corner and safety.
That kind of vertical threat changes things for the rest of Miami’s young pass catchers. If Douglas can hold that role early, it becomes harder for underneath options like Malik Washington and rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. to find room. Free agent addition Tutu Atwell also hasn’t done much in camp so far to suggest he’s the answer there.
There’s still a long way to go before anyone knows exactly what Douglas will be as a pro. He drew skepticism for a reason, and some of the same concerns about his game are still there. But right now, he’s giving Miami something it badly needs: a receiver who looks capable of helping sooner than expected.
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