Part 1: Miami Dolphins Draft Picks made by Chris Grier

For the first part of my Miami Dolphins Draft Deep-Dive, I’m taking a broad look at every draft pick made by the team since Chris Grier took over as General Manager in 2016.

Now, to be fair, Mike Tannenbaum was the Director of Football Operations for the team from 2015-2018 so I think it’s safe to say that for the 2016-2018 draft classes, he likely had a great deal of input, if not the final say. However, since Grier had the title we’ll include those picks in this review.

Part 1: Outlining every Miami Dolphins draft pick made by Chris Grier

First, let’s take a look at the entirety of Chris Grier’s draft history as General Manager of the Miami Dolphins. I’ve taken some time, leveraging DraftHistory.com to help me out. If you want to skip ahead to some first impression notes, feel free to jump past the draft pick chart to Part 2.

YearRoundPickPlayer (Pos.)
20223102Channing Tindall (LB)
4125Erik Ezukanma (WR)
7224Cameron Goode (LB)
7247Skylar Thompson (QB)
202116Jaylen Waddle (WR)
118Jaelen Phillips (DE)
236Jevon Holland (DB)
242Liam Eichenberg (T)
381Hunter Long (TE)
7231Larnel Coleman (T)
7244Gerrid Doaks (RB)
202015Tua Tagovailoa (QB)
118Austin Jackson (T)
130Noah Igbinoghene (DB)
239Robert Hunt (G)
256Raekwon Davis (DT)
370Brandon Jones (DB)
4111Solomon Kindley (G)
5154Jason Strowbridge (DE)
5164Curtis Weaver (DE)
6185Blake Ferguson (LS)
7246Malcolm Perry (WR)
2019113Christian Wilkins (DT)
378Michael Deiter (G)
5151Andrew Van Ginkel (LB)
6202Isaiah Prince (T)
7233Chandler Cox (FB)
7234Myles Gaskin (RB)
2018111Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB)
242Mike Gesicki (TE)
373Jerome Baker (LB)
4123Durham Smythe (TE)
4131Kalen Ballage (RB)
6209Cornell Armstrong (DB)
7227Quentin Poling (LB)
7229Jason Sanders (K)
2017122Charles Harris (LB)
254Raekwon McMillan (LB)
391Cordrea Tankersley (DB)
5164Isaac Asiata (G)
5178Davon Godchaux (DT)
6194Vincent Taylor (DT)
7237Isaiah Ford (WR)
2016113Laremy Tunsil (T)
238Xavien Howard (DB)
373Kenyan Drake (RB)
386Leonte Carroo (WR)
6186Jakeem Grant (WR)
6204Jordan Lucas (DB)
7223Brandon Doughty (QB)
7231Thomas Duarte (TE)

Part 2: By the numbers and my first impressions/initial thoughts.

  • Across 51 total draft picks and 7 draft classes, averaging 7.28 picks per draft.
    • 22 were on the defensive side of the ball (43%)
    • 27 have come on the offensive side of the ball. (53%)
    • There were just two Special-Teamers drafted, Blake Ferguson (LS) and Jason Sanders (K)
      • Four running backs were drafted.
      • Four tight ends were drafted.
      • Four defensive tackles were drafted
      • Six wide receivers were drafted.
      • Seven linebackers were drafted.
      • Eight defensive backs were drafted
      • Nine offensive linemen were drafted (18%)
    • Draft picks with Adam Gase (3 seasons): 23
    • Draft picks with Brian Flores (3 seasons): 24
    • Draft Picks with Mike McDaniel (1 season): 4
  • In terms of numbers that may tell a story…
    • The Miami Dolphins have drafted just three total quarterbacks ever under Grier in Tua Tagovailoa (2020), Skylar Thompson (2021), and Brandon Doughty (2016).
    • Since drafting Tua 5th overall in 2020, Miami has used eleven picks on offense versus nine on defense, seemingly staying true to their previous formula overall. This is interesting, as the team has worked hard to build around the QB without changing up their process.
    • Chris Grier has been described by many fans as being unlikely to draft running backs high in the draft when the data shows he doesn’t draft running back much at all, with just four total RBs drafted (8% of his picks).
    • Wow, that 2018 class was on point, especially since four are still with the team and a fifth is a star for the Steelers.

As I shared in a previous article, I plan to dive deep into each day of the draft, draft tendencies, and a whole lot more. With these being my initial impressions, and especially with my mind already going down so many rabbit holes, I look forward to continuing this draft review and hope you’ll join me.

3 thoughts on “Part 1: Miami Dolphins Draft Picks made by Chris Grier

Comments are closed.