In eight drafts with the Miami Dolphins, general manager Chris Grier has made 55 total selections. That has included nine first-round picks, despite the Dolphins not picking in the top 50 in either of the last two drafts.
Altogether, Grier has picked three quarterbacks, seven running backs, five wide receivers, five tight ends, 10 offensive linemen, seven defensive linemen, seven linebackers, nine defensive backs, a kicker, and a long snapper.
In all those selections, a few trends have stood out. And thanks to analyst Arjun Menon, those trends are easy to compare against other NFL general managers. Here are five tendencies from Grie’s previous drafts:
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Combine drills can feel a little silly at times for offensive linemen. Why does it matter how fast a 320-pound guard can run 40 yards?
But lower-body explosiveness is important in the trenches, and that can be measured in a prospect’s ability to record big numbers in the vertical and broad jumps. Grier seems to be a big believer in that metric.
The majority of the 10 offensive linemen he has picked put up big numbers in the broad jump. The average offensive tackle taken by Grier has recorded a 111-inch broad jump. For comparison, the average for tackles taken by all teams in the past 13 drafts is 107.2 inches.
So who fits the bill in 2024? UCF’s Tylan Grable and South Dakota State’s Mason McCormick were the leaders at the combine among offensive linemen with 117-inch broad jumps each. Washington’s Troy Fautanu was the standout among the first-round prospects with a 113-inch jump.
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Most Dolphins draft picks haven’t stood out much in the 40-yard dash. There’s two exceptions, though: running backs and safeties.
At two positions where it’s valuable to eat up space in the open field in a hurry, Grier has drafted for speed. His average running back ran a 4.45 40-yard dash and his average safety was timed at 4.46 seconds. League-wide those averages are 4.51 and 4.52, respectively.
The philosophy especially worked out well for Miami last year with the addition of speed demon De’Von Achane, who scored 11 touchdowns and averaged an absurd 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie.
While the Dolphins probably won’t look to add another speedster to their backfield, another fast safety isn’t a bad idea with little depth behind Jevon Holland and 33-year-old Jordan Poyer. Texas Tech’s Dadrion…
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