MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa used to throw to Jaylen Waddle at Alabama. Now he'll get the chance to throw to him at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Miami Dolphins selected the Alabama wide receiver with the No. 6 overall pick in Thursday night's first round of the NFL Draft, reuniting Waddle with his former college quarterback.
Waddle, who suffered what was believed to have been a season-ending ankle injury last October, returned to action for the College Football Playoff National Championship, catching three passes for 34 yards to help the Crimson Tide defeat Ohio State 52-24 in South Florida.
He was a favorite target of Tagovailoa in 2018, when the No. 5 overall pick in last year's draft frequently threw to Waddle on his way to becoming the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year.
"I haven't talked to Tua yet, but I can tell you I'm excited just to get back with him, get everything down, get our timing down and things like that," Waddle told reporters. "Luckily for me, we spent time together at Alabama, so we've just got to keep going."
Waddle had 48 receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns last season. In his three seasons at Alabama, Waddle amassed 106 catches for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He'll be a welcome addition to the receiving corps as Tagovailoa enters the 2021 season as the undisputed starter for the Dolphins.
Asked how he thought he could make Tagovailoa better, Waddle said he didn't see it that way.
"I feel like it goes both ways," he said. "He's going to make me better. I'm going to make him better and we're just going to push each other and try to get better each and every day."
