Jaylen Waddle is the newest member of the Miami Dolphins after the club selected him with the No. 6 overall pick at the 2021 NFL Draft. This selection now reunites Waddle with his former Alabama quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, who was drafted No. 5 overall last year. While one would imagine that a reunion of this caliber is nothing but a win for the Dolphins, it may be a bit awkward at the start.
Why? Because when asked during the pre-draft process whether he prefers Tagovailoa or Mac Jones -- his quarterback in 2020 -- Waddle didn't exactly go in the direction of his new Dolphins teammate.
"I like Mac Jones," Waddle said on the NFL Network back in early March. "Both are great quarterbacks. I love Mac. He was a guy I came in with from Day 1. We were on the third team together and worked our way up."
Tua or Mac Jones?
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) April 30, 2021
“I like Mac Jones, just my preference.”
Jaylen Waddle’s on record about which QB he prefers #NFLDraft
(Via @nflnetwork) pic.twitter.com/5P1ZYecjlh
Of course, this is hardly a comment that these two can't get past as they begin their tenures together in Miami. Waddle had no critiques of Tagovailoa, albeit taking Jones in the head-to-head. When you compare Waddle's last two seasons at Alabama, he did have more success with Jones under center, which could be part of his reasoning. In 13 games played with Tagovailoa at QB in 2019, Waddle caught 33 passes for 560 yards and six touchdowns. In just six games last season with Jones, he hauled in 28 passes for 591 yards and four scores. Not too shabby.
At worst, this may cost Waddle a dinner tab with Tagovailoa when they link up in South Beach. At best, they chalk it up in the locker room in a matter of a second. Regardless, these two Bama products should be able to hit the ground running as they reunite in Miami and present quite the deep threat out of the gate.
