While the Dallas Cowboys have been busy making signings and even a trade of their own, during the early stages of the NFL's free agency period, one former Jerry Jones draft pick just saw his job description grow a whole lot larger.
Back in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cowboys took wide receiver Jalen Tolbert out of South Alabama. After four seasons in Dallas, though, Tolbert's contract was not renewed. As he hit free agency, Tolbert wound up signing a 1-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Now, Tolbert's role in Miami looks like it's growing a whole heck of a lot after the Dolphins decided to trade Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos.
The Dolphins made headlines on Tuesday when dealing Waddle in exchange for multiple draft picks, including a first-round selection. So, for now, it's Tolbert's time to shine.
Former Dallas Cowboys draft whiff Jalen Tolbert could be forced to break out in Miami
Over the course of his four seasons with the Cowboys, Tolbert caught a total of 91 passes for 1,093 yards and 10 touchdowns. While that would've been good for a real strong individual season, Tolbert's production with the Cowboys was erratic.
His best year came in 2024 when it appeared he was breaking out, for real, as he secured 49 of 79 targets for 610 yards and an impressive seven touchdown grabs.
But, after Tolbert's big leap in Year 3, he saw the Cowboys go out and trade for George Pickens, which poured cold water on any hope of him taking an even bigger step in Year 4. Now, since the Cowboys have both Pickens and CeeDee Lamb, there was no reason for them to keep Tolbert around.
In Miami, though, Tolbert's only other competition on the depth chart, right now, is veteran Tutu Atwell and third-year pro Malik Washington. Other than those two, the Dolphins don't have a whole lot.
Atwell is more of a deep threat, too, and that's really his only calling card. Washington is a former sixth-round pick whom some Dolphins fans have gotten excited about at times, but going into Year 3, he has yet to show consistency.
Tolbert, meanwhile, has the makings of a decent WR2 for new Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis. He'll have a hard time handling all that goes into being a no. 1 target, which is why Miami is very likely to go with a wide receiver with one of their first-round picks (more probable at no. 11 overall).
If the Dolphins end up with someone like Jordyn Tyson or Carnell Tate, there, then Tolbert has a little pressure taken off and may actually be able to thrive. The Dolphins wll most likely stink in 2026, which could give Tolbert plenty of action as they play catch-up throughout the year.
Will he be one of the focal points? It sure looks that way.