American Football

A look back at Chris Grier’s 2019-2023 Miami Dolphins draft picks

April 25, 2024

Miami Dolphins Introduce Christian Wilkins — Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

Looking back over his first five drafts, how has Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier actually performed?

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier assumed that title in 2016, appearing to give him the final say on personnel decisions within the organization. At the time, however, the Dolphins also had Mike Tannenbaum as the team’s executive vice president of football operations, placing him ahead of Grier in the team’s hierarchy. In December 2018, Tannenbaum was reassigned within the organization before quietly leaving the team and paving the way for Grier to take full control of personnel decisions – including control of the team’s draft picks.

The fans scrutinize Grier’s selections, with someone somewhere always calling for him to be fired. Grier is the ultimate team player, deferring, for the most part, to the coaching staff to make sure they agree with the players being selected. He understands how to tailor his selections to the coaching staff’s schemes and ideal players. Taking a step back to look at the five drafts in which he has had full control, do the results of the draft support the idea that Grier does not know how to make picks?

Here are the picks from each draft, as well as the trades Miami made with the picks they held.

2023 Miami Dolphins draft

51st: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
84th: De’Von Achane, RB, Texas A&M
197th: Elijah Higgins, WR, Stanford
238th: Ryan Hayes, T, Michigan

First-round pick forfeit for Tom Brady/Sean Payton tampering charges.
29th: Traded to Denver Broncos as part of package for Bradley Chubb
77th: Traded to Los Angeles Rams as part of package for Jalen Ramsey
122nd: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs as part of package for Tyreek Hill
155th: Traded to San Francisco 49ers for Jeff Wilson, Jr.
178th: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs as part of package for Tyreek Hill

Smith immediately jumps out as a concern after essentially having a redshirt rookie season. Is he such a bust that the Dolphins could not afford to have him on the field last year? Will that continue into 2024? Or will a change from former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system to new coordinator Anthony Weaver be the spark that reignites Smith’s career?

After Smith, the Dolphins found a gem in Achane. Along with Raheem Mostert, the Dolphins will have a strong one-two punch from the backfield featuring Achane.

Higgins and Hayes were both claimed off waivers when the Dolphins attempted to add them to the practice squad at the end of the preseason. Higgins joined the Arizona Cardinals, while Hayes moved to the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts waived Hayes a few weeks later, and the Dolphins brought him back to Miami as part of the practice squad and then signed him for the 2024 season as well.

Other than Achane, the rookies did not perform much for Miami in 2023, but it is too early to deem any of them a bust. The Dolphins’ 2023 Draft is probably more about the veterans they acquired than the selected rookies. Picks from this year were used to acquire wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Bradley Chubb, and running back Jeff Wilson.

2022 Miami Dolphins Draft

102nd: Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia
125th: Erik Ezukanma, WR, Texas Tech
224th: Cameron Goode, OLB, Cal
247th: Skylar Thompson, QB, Kansas State

15th: Traded to Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 Draft picks trade
29th: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs as part of package for Tyreek Hill
50th: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs as part of package for Tyreek Hill
81st: Traded to New York Giants in 2021 Draft picks trade
121st: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs as part of package for Tyreek Hill
158th: Traded to New England Patriots as part of package for 2023 third-round pick
196th: Traded to Baltimore Ravens for Greg Mancz and pick 224
238th: Traded to Los Angeles Rams for Aqib Talib
242nd: Traded to Carolina Panthers for Greg Little

The 2022 draft may prove to be a rough one for Miami. The third year in the league is typically when players find themselves and grow into key roles. Will any of this group take that step forward in 2024? The Dolphins’ first pick in 2022 was the third-round selection of Tindall, who has struggled to find the consistency that would allow him to contribute to the team’s defense. He has played a total of 21 defensive snaps his first two seasons, though he has appeared on special teams for 411 snaps, including being on the field 54 percent of the special teams plays last year. The hopes for contribution on defense from Tindall are still there, but he may prove to be primarily a special teams contributor.

Ezukanma is someone many fans hope will breakout. He had flashes in training camp and the preseason in 2022, but has only played in three games with two receptions in his first two seasons. Last year he was limited to two games due to a neck injury. The potential is there, but Ezukanma needs to stay healthy and take a huge step toward reaching his potential on an offense desperate for a third receiver.

Goode spent his rookie season on the Dolphins’ practice squad. He began the 2023 season on the practice squad as well but was promoted to the active roster during the season. Injuries seemed to have Goode in position to see an increase in playing time as an edge rusher late in the season and into the playoffs, but he sustained a torn patella tendon in the team’s Week 18 game and was moved to injured reserve before the playoff game.

Thompson has served as the Dolphins’ third-string quarterback since being selected. While he did not see playing time in 2023, during his rookie season in 2022, he appeared in seven games, starting two of them, and started the team’s playoff game. He threw for 534 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions on a 57.1 percent completion rate. The Dolphins coaching staff appears to really like Thompson as their developmental quarterback and, unless something dramatic happens during the draft or prior to training camp, he seems set to return as the third quarterback on the roster this year.

This set of draft picks is dominated by the trade for Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami did make some trades for other veterans using late-round picks, but the Hill trade was the headliner of the 2022 Draft for the Dolphins.

2021 Miami Dolphins draft

6th: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
18th: Jaelan Phillips, OLB, Miami
36th: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
42nd: Liam Eichenberg, T, Notre Dame
81st: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College
231st: Larnel Coleman, T, UMass
244th: Gerrid Doaks, RB, Cincinnati

3rd: Traded to San Francisco 49ers for 12th, 2022 first- and third-round picks, and 2023 first-round pick
12th: Traded with 123rd and 2022 first-round pick to Philadelphia Eagles for 6th and 156th picks
50th: Traded with 2022 third-round selection to New York Giants for 42nd
121st: Traded with 162nd to Las Vegas Raiders for Lynn Bowden and 203rd pick
123rd: Traded with 12th and 2022 first-round pick to Philadelphia Eagles for 6th and 156th picks
156th: Traded to Pittsburgh Steelers for 2022 fourth-round pick
162nd: Traded with 121st to Las Vegas Raiders for Lynn Bowden and 203rd pick
202nd: Traded to Houston Texans as part of Laremy Tunsil trade
203rd: Traded with Shaq Lawson to Houston Texans for 231st and Benardrick McKinney
207th: Traded to Kansas City Chiefs for 258th and DeAndre Washington
208th: Traded to Chicago Bears for Adam Shaheen
232nd: Traded to Tennessee Titans for Isaiah Wilson and a 2022 seventh-round pick
245th: Traded to Pittsburgh Steelers along with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for package of picks
258th: Traded to Washington Football Team for pick 244 and Ereck Flowers

This draft started with the Dolphins moving out of the third-overall position, a spot they held from the Laremy Tunsil trade to the Houston Texans. They traded with the San Francisco 49ers to jump back to the 12th position, then traded that pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for the sixth pick. After the whirlwind of moves, the Dolphins added Waddle. In his three seasons with Miami, he has caught 251 passes for 3,385 yards with 18 touchdowns. His 18.1 yards per reception average in 2022 led the league.

Miami came back on the clock with the 18th pick, using that selection to add Phillips. The edge rusher has recorded 146 tackles in three years, along with 22 sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and an interception. His 2023 season was cut short by an Achilles tear, an injury that may cost him playing time early in the 2024 season.

With the 36th pick, the Dolphins added another starter to their depth chart with the selection of Holland. In his three years, Holland has recorded 230 tackles, four sacks, 20 passes defensed, five interceptions with a touchdown, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. While Miami has stated they will be exercising the fifth-year options built into the two first-round picks’ contracts, Holland, as a second-round selection, does not have that contract provision. The Dolphins have indicated they plan on working a contract extension with Holland to keep him with the team.

The 42nd pick led to Miami adding Eichenberg, a player much maligned by the fan base for most of his three years here. A large part of Eichenberg’s issues could be from the team using him all over the offensive line, never giving him a chance to learn and develop at one position. When the Dolphins added him to the starting lineup as a right guard last year, he flourished, but had to move back to center as injuries mounted. He has played in 43 games over the three seasons since he was drafted, starting 38 of them.

Long, the 81st pick, spent two seasons with the Dolphins, appearing in seven games as a rookie including two starts, then nine games in his season season. He caught one pass for eight yards with Miami before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams as part of the team’s trade for Jalen Ramsey before the 2023 season.

The pair of seventh-round picks, Coleman and Doaks, both had short stints with Miami. Coleman landed on injured reserve at the end of the preseason as a rookie, then was signed to the team’s practice squad at the start of the 2022 season. He was signed off the Dolphins’ practice squad by the Carolina Panthers a month later, then was released during the following preseason. In 2023, he played in the XFL, then started 2024 in the UFL but was released and signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

Doaks spent 2021 on the Dolphins’ practice squad before being released at the end of the 2022 preseason. He has bounced on and off the Houston Texans’ practice squad throughout the past two seasons and re-signed with the team for 2024.

The Dolphins were active throughout the draft, moving up and down the draft board. They came out of the draft with three superstar starters and a developing starting offensive lineman.

2020 Miami Dolphins draft

5th: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
18th: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
30th: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn
39th: Robert Hunt, OT, Louisiana
56th: Raekwon Davis, NT, Alabama
70th: Brandon Jones, S, Texas
111th: Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia
154th: Jason Strowbridge, DE, North Carolina
164th: Curtis Weaver, OLB, Boise State
185th: Blake Ferguson, LS, LSU
246th: Malcolm Perry, WR, Navy

26th: Traded to Green Bay Packers for picks 30 and 136
111th: Traded to Houston Texans in Laremy Tunsil trade then returned to Dolphins for picks 136 and 141
135th: Traded to Pittsburgh Steelers in Minkah Fitzpatrick trade
136th: Traded to Houston Texans for pick 111
141st: Traded to Houston Texans for pick 111
153rd: Traded to Arizona Cardinals in Josh Rosen trade, returned to Dolphins after Kenyan Drake reached performance measures, traded to San Francisco 49ers in Matt Breida trade
173rd: Traded to Philadelphia Eagles for pick 164
197th: Traded to Indianapolis Colts in Evan Boehm trade
219th: Traded to Minnesota Vikings for Danny Isidora
227th: Traded to Philadelphia Eagle for pick 164
251st: Traded to Seattle Seahawks for 2021 sixth-round pick

The 2020 Draft for the Dolphins is all about Tagovailoa, a player who still headlines plenty of debate today. The quarterback was selected to his first Pro Bowl following the 2023 season after leading the league in passing yards. In 2022, he led the league with an 8.9 yards per attempt average and a 105.5 passer rating. Injuries have been a concern for Tagovailoa, ranging back to his college days, but he was able to start all 17 games for Miami last year. He has thrown for 12,639 yards with 81 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in his career, with a 66.9 percent completion rate and a 97.1 passer rating.

He ranks fourth all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns for Miami, trailing Dan Marino, Bob Griese, and Ryan Tannehill. He is the franchise leader in career passer rating and he is third in yards per attempt among passers who have thrown at least 100 passes as a Dolphins player.

The second of Miami’s three first-round picks, Jackson established himself as the team’s starting right tackle last year, locking down the position despite concerns heading into the season that he could be a bust. During his four seasons with the team, Jackson has appeared in 48 games, starting 46. He missed most of the 2022 season with an ankle injury. Jackson signed a three-year contract extension near the end of the 2023 season.

Igbinoghene became the biggest disappointment in the Dolphins’ draft class. Drafted at just 20 years old, the hope was that Igbinoghene would develop into a top-tier, long-term cornerback for Miami. He struggled to find consistency and found himself inactive or limited in playing time on game days. He was traded at the end of the 2023 preseason to the Dallas Cowboys. Igbinoghene appeared in 32 games with Miami, starting five, with 29 tackles, two fumbles recovered, five passes defensed, and one interception. He added five games played with the Cowboys. He signed with the Washington Commanders as a free agent this offseason.

Hunt began his career with the Dolphins as a reserve lineman, but moved into the starting lineup as a right tackle during his rookie year. He moved to right guard in 2021, taking over as the starter and locking down the position over three seasons. He appeared in 61 games in his career, starting 55 times. Hunt signed with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent this offseason.

Davis took on the role of nose tackle in Miami’s 3-4 defensive scheme, appearing in 63 games with 48 starts in four seasons. He recorded 129 tackles with two sacks over that span and, while never the star like Christian Wilkins next to him, he was a solid piece of the defensive front and allowed Wilkins the freedom to get after the quarterback. Davis signed with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent this offseason.

Miami seemed to hit a homerun with the 70th pick, especially when they allowed Jones to blitz from his safety position. An injury in 2022 limited him to seven games played, then he seemed to struggle to find consistency in 2023, likely in part as he learned to trust his ACL again and in part because of the change to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s system. Jones signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency this year.

Kindley served as the starting right guard his rookie season, but was surpassed by Hunt in 2021. He was waived by the Dolphins at the end of the preseason in 2022, eventually signing with the New York Giants practice squad during the season, but was released by the team ahead of the 2023 training camp period and is still a free agent. He has appeared in 29 games, starting 15 of them.

Strowbridge appeared in eight games, with three tackles, as a rookie, but fell to Miami’s practice squad for the 2021 season. He was released from the practice squad a week into the season and never caught on with another team.

Weaver was waived/injured by the Dolphins during the 2020 preseason, ending a short stint with Miami. He spent time three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, seeing time on the active roster, the practice squad, and injured reserve. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2023 offseason, but was waived by the team during the preseason. He joined the USFL in 2023, then signed with the CFL this year.

The Dolphins’ 185th pick provided Ferguson, locking down their long snapper position. He has played in all 67 games over his four years in the league and signed a three-year contract extension during the 2023 season.

Perry spent the first half of his rookie year inactive on game day but eventually worked his way into being a contributor for the Dolphins as a wildcat quarterback and rotational wide receiver. Heading into his second season, the Dolphins also began working him as a special teams return option, then attempted to put him on the practice squad at the end of the preseason, but the New England Patriots claimed him off waivers. He landed on injured reserve with a foot injury to start the year, then was released by the Patriots midseason. He signed with the New Orleans Saints practice squad, but was released a few weeks later without making an appearance. He returned to the Patriots but decided to retire from the league before the 2022 training camp period to begin his service in the United States Marine Corps.

The Dolphins moved around during the draft, but not to the extend we would see in subsequent years. The main moves were using picks from the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade

2019 Miami Dolphins Draft

13th: Christian Wilkins, DE, Clemson
78th: Michael Deiter, G, Wisconsin
151st: Andrew Van Ginkel, LB, Wisconsin
202nd: Isaiah Prince, T, Ohio State
233rd: Chandler Cox, FB, Auburn
234th: Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington

48th: Traded to New Orleans Saints for 62nd, 202nd, and 2020 second-round pick
62nd: Traded with 2020 fifth-round pick to Arizona Cardinals for Josh Rosen
116th: Traded to New Orleans Saints for 62nd, 202nd, and 2020 second-round pick
188th: Traded with Ryan Tannehill to Tennessee Titans for 233rd pick and 2020 fourth-round pick
229th: Traded to Detroit Lions for Akeem Spence

Wilkins was a star coming out of Clemson and that continued into his time with Miami. The Dolphins exercised his fifth-year option for the 2023 season. In his five years with the Dolphins, he appeared in 81 games, starting 77, with 355 tackles, 19 passes defensed, one interception, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, and 20.5 sacks. He became the top free agency target this offseason, signing with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Deiter started at left guard as a rookie for Miami, then became a reserve lineman for his second season. He returned to the starting lineup at center for 2021, but a foot injury cost him most of the season. He worked as a reserve lineman for 2022 before joining the Houston Texans for 2023. He signed with the Washington Commanders this offfseason. He appeared in 57 games, with 23 starts, in his four years with the Dolphins, then added 16 appearances, starting 10 times, with Houston last year.

At 151, the Dolphins selected Van Ginkel, who worked in multiple linebacker roles with Miami over five seasons. His strength is as a pass rusher, but the Dolphins also had him working as an inside linebacker in 2023, giving the team flexibility in getting him on the field. OVer his five seasons, Van Ginkel established himself as a fan favorite while playing in 73 games, starting 42, with 250 career tackles, 21 passes defensed, two interceptions with a touchdown, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries with a touchdown, and 17 sacks.

Prince spent much of his rookie season as a reserve lineman, appearing in four game with two starts before Miami waived him near the end of the season. The Cincinnati Bengals then was claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals. He opted out of the 2020 season under the league’s COVID-19 rules, then spend most of 2022 on injured reserve or the practice squad for Cincinnati. He signed with the Denver Broncos in 2023 but was released near the end of the preseason before spending a month with the Atlanta Falcons. He has appeared in 21 games, with six starts, over his career, including the four games with the Dolphins. He is currently a free agent.

Cox appeared in 21 games, starting six, with the Dolphins over two seasons. He recorded two receptions for nine yards in 2020 before being waived near the end of his second season. He never signed with another team.

As a seventh-round pick, not a lot is expected of a player for his career, but Gaskin broke out from those expectations. He only appeared in seven games as a rookie, carrying the ball 36 times for 133 yards and a touchdown. He moved up the depth chart for the 2002 and 2021 seasons, starting 17 of 27 games played. He only appeared in four games in 2022. Between injuries and the Dolphins’ shying away from the running game, Gaskin’s carries were never as high as expected from a starting running back, but he recorded 361 attempts for 1,355 yards and seven touchdowns in his four years with Miami. In 2023, after being released by the Dolphins at the end of the preseason, Gaskin bounced back and forth between the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad and active roster before being poached by the Los Angeles Rams during the season. He was waived by the Rams a month later and returned to the Vikings’ practice squad. He re-signed with Minnesota for the 2024 season.

Miami was relatively calm during the draft in terms of trades as Chris Grier settled into the first year he was making all the decisions. The main highlights were Ryan Tannehill being traded away and making a trade to acquire Josh Rosen – who had fallen out of favor with the Arizona Cardinals, but never caught on with Miami.