The next group of Miami Dolphins draft picks will be made by someone else for the first time in nine years. Two weeks after his departure, Chris Grier's legacy is still being scrutinized.
The Dolphins have won two games in a row since Grier stepped away from the organization, but his legacy is defined by wasted cap space and draft picks. Looking back on his time with the Dolphins, there are only a handful of players who worked out.
That, too, was a problem Grier had, and ultimately, even the good ones gave Stephen Ross reasons to terminate the relationship.
Chris Grier's best draft picks didn't last long because the Dolphins couldn't retain them
There is no point in making selections or hoarding draft picks if you are going to send them packing before paying them another contract. That was a big problem for Grier in Miami. Some of his selections were actually quite good, so why did they leave?
2017 was the first year that Grier took over the draft entirely on his own. Mike Tannenbaum was still in place during the first season that Grier was promoted. Some would argue that Tannebaum was still in control of the draft in 2017 as well. That's a good thing for Grier, if true; the Dolphins drafted Charles Harris in the first round.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was the perfect pick for Miami in 2018, but he wasn't the ideal fit. Brian Flores couldn't get along with the safety, and after only a season, the Dolphins traded him to the Steelers. Grier tried to rectify the mistake all these years later by trading for him this past offseason.
That draft wasn't bad for Grier. He took Mike Gesicki, Jerome Baker, and Durham Smythe, as well as Jason Sanders, in that class. Aside from Fitzpatrick's return, only Smythe, Baker, and Sanders earned a contract beyond their rookie deals.
It's hard to believe that Christian Wilkins was taken only a year later. Grier gave him five years and nothing more. Wilkins was a fantastic defensive tackle who worked well with current DT Zach Sieler. Like most of the other quality players, Wilkins never saw a second contract while Grier was the GM.
This problem would repeat itself the following year when he drafted Robert Hunt in the second round. Four years later and Hunt was a free agent who wasn't a high priority for the Dolphins GM. That class, of course, produced three first-round picks. Tua Tagovialoa, Austin Jackson, and Noah Igbinoghene. Tagovailoa and Jackson were given extensions, although you could argue neither should have been.
Sadly, it all dries up considerably from there. Jaylen Waddle got his extension and has played up to it. It's still uncertain about the last two draft classes, but overall, they look to have potential. The 2023 draft may have gone down as one of the worst in team history if not for De'Von Achane.
Achane has balanced out the Cam Smith selection in round two. Miami only had four picks that year, so there was little room for error. Grier was 1-4 that class.
Overall, Grier had 55 draft picks that we know he was 100% responsible for starting in 2018. If we eliminate the last two drafts, as they have yet to prove without a doubt that they will be good or bad, we have to look at the rest of his drafts.
His best picks remain Waddle, Achane, Wilkins, and, to a lesser degree, Jaelan Phillips, Jevon Holland, and Fitzpatrick. The fact that most of them have left the organization is a failure that Grier will always be remembered for.