How do you know any of those guys are sitting at 12 if we stayed there? If Philly stays at 6, every pick from 6-11 could be completely different. Who is Philly taking at 6 that affects other teams? Do they pick Smith still at 6 or do they pick Sewell? Dallas traded back with Philly to 12 to pick Parsons. Do they still trade back or stay at 10 and pick him there? You can't just assume all the picks stay the same as they were.
And I guess you will never understand why and how the trade went down so I guess I will stop trying.
You never know who would have been there which is why I just named 4. Not giving up a future 1st rounder though that is for certain. It would appear there are quite a few others as well thinking we had to give up a little something something...
Analysis: Well, one thing is certainly clear: The NFL hasn’t lost its love of pure, blazing speed. Waddle brings plenty of it, possessing the field-tilting explosiveness and playmaking talent to score every time he touches the ball. I love the Crimson Tide star’s fit with the Dolphins, too. He’ll mesh well with DeVante Parker, Will Fuller V, and Mike Gesicki in the team’s passing game, giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a familiar face to throw to downfield.
But when factoring in the price Miami paid to move back up from no. 12 to no. 6 to make this pick (mainly a future first-rounder), I don’t love the value here. Waddle, who lacks size, is coming off a major ankle injury that forced him to miss most of the 2020 season, and ranks lower than Heisman winner DeVonta Smith on my board. Waddle will need to turn into an unguardable go-to guy and true no. 1 in the Dolphins offense to justify this price.
Grade: B-
SHEIL KAPADIA, The Athletic
Analysis: A broken ankle limited him to six games last season, but when Waddle was on the field, he produced (106 catches for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons). In many ways, he is a Tyreek Hill clone with elite speed and acceleration. Tua Tagovailoa now has DeVante Parker, Will Fuller and Waddle to throw to in 2021. That supporting cast will allow Miami to properly evaluate its second-year quarterback.
It’s fair to question whether the Dolphins should have traded up to six from 12 for Waddle, given what they had to give up. But Waddle is a perfectly reasonable use of resources at this spot.
Grade: B