Even though they used their first three picks on other positions, the Miami Dolphins badly need help at wide receiver. Miami's a favorable landing spot, then, for Caleb Douglas, one of the top targets on Texas Tech football's Big 12 championship team.
The Dolphins used a third-round pick on the Red Raiders' wide receiver on Friday, April 24, day two of the NFL draft.
Gone from last season's 7-10 Dolphins team are Jaylen Waddle, traded in March to the Denver Broncos, and eight-time Pro Bowl selection Tyreek Hill, who was released at age 32. Waddle averaged 75 catches for 1,008 yards his first five seasons in Miami.
"Great opportunity," Douglas said in a Zoom conference with Dolphins media. "Even if there wasn't an opportunity, I would go out there and compete regardless, so really I'm appreciative of the opportunity."
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Miami used back-to-back picks on players who helped Texas Tech go 12-2 last season. In the second round, the Dolphins took linebacker Jacob Rodriguez with the 43rd pick.
"I told J-Rod, 'Hey, I can't wait to be teammates again,' " Douglas said.
Douglas ran a 4.39 40-yard sprint at the NFL Combine, where he checked in at 6-foot-3 1/2 and 206 pounds. The Fort Bend Hightower graduate spent his last two seasons at Texas Tech after transferring from Florida. In 2024, he caught 60 passes for 877 yards and 6 touchdowns. In 2025, he caught 54 passes for 846 yards and 7 TDs.
The consensus among draft analysts was Douglas would be a day-three pick, somewhere between rounds 5 and 7. Instead, he went 75th overall, the fifth Red Raider to go in the top 75.
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ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said he liked Douglas' size, catch radius and body control, adding that he needed to cut down on dropped passes.
"But overall, I thought he improved his game to the point where, with that kind of size, a lot of smaller cornerbacks are going to have a tough time matching up red zone, contested situations," Kiper said. "Pretty good hand-eye coordination overall for Caleb Douglas."
Last month, the Dolphins signed quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year contract. The former Auburn and Liberty QB spent his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans and the past two with the Green Bay Packers.
Asked what he can do working with Willis, Douglas said, "A whole lot. When he was with the Titans, I loved him, so I'm happy I'm paired up with him. He's going to go out there and do it."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caleb Douglas sees 'great opportunity' as Dolphins pick him in NFL draft