Malik Washington is heading into his third NFL season, but he's already become the dean of the wide receiver room in Miami.

Washington is the only returning receiver who played a significant role for the Dolphins in 2025 as Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Cedrick Wilson are all off the roster this spring. The Dolphins signed Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert to give them a little more experience, but the consensus view of the group is a dim one.

On Tuesday, Washington told reporters that the outside view is not taking into account the desire he and other wideouts have "to showcase what they can do" in 2026.

"Each guy in that room knows there's a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," Washington said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. "We all want to be the guy. We all wanted to bring in the targets and, you know, play well on Sundays."

The Dolphins will likely add to their options before the draft is over on Saturday, but it seems less likely that the expectations for the passing game are going to change significantly. That doesn't seem to bother Washington as he looks forward to his chance to seize a bigger profile this fall.