Wes Welker Compares Jaylen Waddle to All-Pro Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle was excellent in his first NFL season with the Miami Dolphins. The former Alabama wideout finished the 2021 campaign with the most receptions ever by a rookie (104), turning them into 1,015 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.

Waddle receives tons of praise for his performance and you can now add Wes Welker to the list of his fans. The newly-hired Dolphins wide receiver coach even compared Waddle to a certain All-Pro wideout.

Jaylen Waddle Dolphins

Welker told Sports Illustrated on Thursday that he's been watching Waddle since he played with the Crimson Tide and that the promising wide receiver reminds him a lot of the Kansas City Chiefs' Tyreek Hill — especially when it comes to acceleration.

"It's kind of Tyreek Hill-ish, how he's just able to get that ball and really burst out of it. A little bit different body types and stuff. But I kind of that's what came to mind whenever I was kind of watching him coming to Alabama and seeing him on film here."

- Wes Welker

Hill is one of the most dynamic wideouts in the NFL today, recording at least 1,100 receiving yards in four of the last five seasons. He's a six-time Pro-Bowler and has received All-Pro honors three times, so Welker comparing him to Waddle is some pretty high praise.

Having Welker on the coaching staff could do wonders for Waddle. The former is one of the best slot receivers that the game has seen. If he can pass down any of his knowledge to the latter, Miami fans could be in for a treat.

Nevertheless, the Dolphins' offense was inconsistent in 2021, so one of the main priorities this offseason is to improve the offensive line. Assuming general manager Chris Grier can take care of that, Waddle could be in for an even more explosive season in 2022.

The Dolphins will need Waddle to take the next step if they want to improve their championship odds. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently listing Miami as having +4000 odds (T-No. 21) to win Super Bowl LVII.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.