Immediate reaction to Jaylen Wright as Dolphins 2024 fourth-round pick

What are the Miami Dolphins getting in running back Jaylen Wright and how does he fit with the team?

The Miami Dolphins love them some speed. Head coach Mike McDaniel does not shy away from that fact, and the Dolphins do not try to hide the fact that they want their offense to be a track team. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and running backs De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert create mismatches all over the field, with defenses struggling to find ways to slow all of the options on the field.

And, in the fourth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dolphins added even more speed. The team traded into the fourth round, using a 2025 third-round pick to make it happen, so they could select Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright. To an offense already loaded with speed, the Dolphins just added a player who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and averaged 7.5 yards per carry at Tennessee.

Miami’s offense is simply a drag race waiting for the snap every single play.

The Dolphins dealt with injury issues last year, including seeing all four of the Mostert, Achane, Hill, and Waddle track team miss time for various reasons. Adding another speedster to the roster continues to build the depth for if Miami needs it makes sense.

Miami also read the room perfectly with the selection of Wright. With the 120th pick, the Dolphins were the first team in the fourth round to select a running back. In the 15 picks that followed, six more rushers were selected. The Dolphins knew who they wanted, timed the move so they were ahead of the run on the position group, and they did it by simply giving up one of what should be multiple third-round picks in 2025 to do it.

Wright will not have to come into the Dolphins and be a “feature” running back. He will be a player who they can rotate into the game in packages, adding even more speed to the backfield. He could also be looked to as a returner as the Dolphins, and the rest of the NFL, consider how they will be manning the kick returner position under the new kickoff rules that limit full-speed collisions but incentivize returns over touchbacks.

He likely slots into the depth chart just behind Mostert and Achane, ahead of Chris Brooks, and pushing Jeff Wilson, Jr., and Salvon Ahmed onto the roster bubble. The pick seems like a strong one for the Dolphins, who continue to build with players that can have an impact in 2024 but will be looked at as key pieces in 2025.