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A thought on Grier’s approach to the 1st round…
The selection of Ken Grant was a surprise to some, myself included, but that spoke more to the random nature of the picks between #10 and #32. As it seemed, most of the picks in the mid- and late-first could’ve been taken anywhere in that range. For instance, Josh Simmons, who many had mocked to the Dolphins at #13, didn’t go until #32. And many of the names projected as late-R1 went higher than expected. Colston Loveland, Mykel Williams, Ken Grant, Walter Nolen, Gray Zabel and Emeka Egbuka all went inside the Top-20.
Back to the selection of Ken Grant and what it confirms for me about Grier’s philosophy.
It seems to me that Miami takes a measured approach with their Top-20 picks. Because they have such high standards, they rarely get a bust. They almost always get an above-average starter who checks a very large number of boxes. The downside of course is that they’ll never swing for the fences on a high-risk guy.
Here are 5 things I think Miami demands of its Top-20 picks:
Big School
High Character
On-field Versatility
Youth-to-Talent Ratio
Upside / Impact Potential
Grier is not going to reach on a small-school guy in R1. The Dolphins continuously draft from the powerhouse institutions of college football pretty much exclusively including Alabama, Clemson, Penn St. Miami, Michigan, USC, etc. This is a trend people generally overlook and it allows college football’s biggest institutions to do some of the heavy lifting in the scouting process.
Grier’s not going to budge on character. He demands someone with intelligence, coachability and a team-first attitude. Minkah and Wilkins were the apple of their coaching staff’s eye as prospects. Tua was highly-acclaimed as well. Ajax has proven to be extremely professional and we’ve seen good work ethic from Waddle, Phillips and Chop so far. The Dolphins just aren’t the team to take a flier on a guy with big character concerns.
Grier obviously wants the player to have multiple ways of impacting the game. In the case of OL and DB, it means positional flexibility and a mix of intelligence, scheme fit and physical skill. In the case of DL, it means anchoring and penetrating to play both the run and the pass as well as the ability to present a high motor when required and the headiness to get your hands up to deflect passes. We’ve never been disappointed with our DL picks from Wilkins to Phillips to Chop and we’re not going to be with Grant who checks every box in the ways in which he impacted games at Michigan.
Grier also prefers younger players. This is another thing people often miss about Grier’s R1 picks. While some start out a bit rough and developmental (e.g. Ajax, Noah, Chop, etc.), these players routinely prove to be ascendent names worthy of an extension by years 3-4. The amount of money earned by Minkah, Wilkins, Tua, Ajax, Waddle (and soon enough Phillips) is testament to Grier’s desire to find players whose best football is in front of them as Draft prospects. The Dolphins are far more likely to draft the younger-than-average guy as opposed to someone who’s unusually old coming out.
Finally, it has to be said that while almost all of the Miami R1 picks mentioned seemed more safe than upside given how many boxes they checked as prospects and how these guys tended to project a solid, day-1 starters, each did have their potential pathway to stardom. Minkah found it as a FS. Wilkins value was proven in FA. Tua and Ajax rebounded under the leadership of a new regime and both earned big 2nd contracts, with their only downside being a string of unfortunate injuries during that period. Waddle’s explosiveness helped him to being the 2nd most productive WR in his class despite many favoring weapons like Kyle Pitts and Devonta Smith on draft day. And finally, a string of recent injuries has been the only thing stopping workout warrior Jaelan Phillips from being a dominant edge presence for the Dolphins. Nobody questions Phillips motor or heart. That brings us to the recent picks Chop and now Grant who both possess the physical assets necessary to be standout players, Chop through his speed and get-off and Grant through his athletic profile as a big man.
In the end, the Dolphins have faired better than most teams in R1 because of their demanding approach that each Top-20 prospect present a full-range addition to the team through character, work ethic and impact ability.
As far as Ken Grant, I see Christian Wilkins 2.0 but with more size and a rookie-contract price-tag. He's penetrating when he wants to be. His hand work is outstanding. He sheds blocks incredibly well as though it just comes natural to him. He anchors when he needs to although he's not a black hole, not yet anyway. His tackling needs some work but it's fine and he's young and developmental anyway. His size will fit perfectly with Miami's need on the DL and the snaps he'll take will more than justify his selection as he grows...which really puts the onus more on coaching than the player. Then again, DT is about the most sure-fire position to take in R1. The bust potential is virtually non-existent.
Grant is a smart player whose best football is absolutely in front of him. I'm both surprised and not to see Miami select him. I approve.
The selection of Ken Grant was a surprise to some, myself included, but that spoke more to the random nature of the picks between #10 and #32. As it seemed, most of the picks in the mid- and late-first could’ve been taken anywhere in that range. For instance, Josh Simmons, who many had mocked to the Dolphins at #13, didn’t go until #32. And many of the names projected as late-R1 went higher than expected. Colston Loveland, Mykel Williams, Ken Grant, Walter Nolen, Gray Zabel and Emeka Egbuka all went inside the Top-20.
Back to the selection of Ken Grant and what it confirms for me about Grier’s philosophy.
It seems to me that Miami takes a measured approach with their Top-20 picks. Because they have such high standards, they rarely get a bust. They almost always get an above-average starter who checks a very large number of boxes. The downside of course is that they’ll never swing for the fences on a high-risk guy.
Here are 5 things I think Miami demands of its Top-20 picks:
Big School
High Character
On-field Versatility
Youth-to-Talent Ratio
Upside / Impact Potential
Grier is not going to reach on a small-school guy in R1. The Dolphins continuously draft from the powerhouse institutions of college football pretty much exclusively including Alabama, Clemson, Penn St. Miami, Michigan, USC, etc. This is a trend people generally overlook and it allows college football’s biggest institutions to do some of the heavy lifting in the scouting process.
Grier’s not going to budge on character. He demands someone with intelligence, coachability and a team-first attitude. Minkah and Wilkins were the apple of their coaching staff’s eye as prospects. Tua was highly-acclaimed as well. Ajax has proven to be extremely professional and we’ve seen good work ethic from Waddle, Phillips and Chop so far. The Dolphins just aren’t the team to take a flier on a guy with big character concerns.
Grier obviously wants the player to have multiple ways of impacting the game. In the case of OL and DB, it means positional flexibility and a mix of intelligence, scheme fit and physical skill. In the case of DL, it means anchoring and penetrating to play both the run and the pass as well as the ability to present a high motor when required and the headiness to get your hands up to deflect passes. We’ve never been disappointed with our DL picks from Wilkins to Phillips to Chop and we’re not going to be with Grant who checks every box in the ways in which he impacted games at Michigan.
Grier also prefers younger players. This is another thing people often miss about Grier’s R1 picks. While some start out a bit rough and developmental (e.g. Ajax, Noah, Chop, etc.), these players routinely prove to be ascendent names worthy of an extension by years 3-4. The amount of money earned by Minkah, Wilkins, Tua, Ajax, Waddle (and soon enough Phillips) is testament to Grier’s desire to find players whose best football is in front of them as Draft prospects. The Dolphins are far more likely to draft the younger-than-average guy as opposed to someone who’s unusually old coming out.
Finally, it has to be said that while almost all of the Miami R1 picks mentioned seemed more safe than upside given how many boxes they checked as prospects and how these guys tended to project a solid, day-1 starters, each did have their potential pathway to stardom. Minkah found it as a FS. Wilkins value was proven in FA. Tua and Ajax rebounded under the leadership of a new regime and both earned big 2nd contracts, with their only downside being a string of unfortunate injuries during that period. Waddle’s explosiveness helped him to being the 2nd most productive WR in his class despite many favoring weapons like Kyle Pitts and Devonta Smith on draft day. And finally, a string of recent injuries has been the only thing stopping workout warrior Jaelan Phillips from being a dominant edge presence for the Dolphins. Nobody questions Phillips motor or heart. That brings us to the recent picks Chop and now Grant who both possess the physical assets necessary to be standout players, Chop through his speed and get-off and Grant through his athletic profile as a big man.
In the end, the Dolphins have faired better than most teams in R1 because of their demanding approach that each Top-20 prospect present a full-range addition to the team through character, work ethic and impact ability.
As far as Ken Grant, I see Christian Wilkins 2.0 but with more size and a rookie-contract price-tag. He's penetrating when he wants to be. His hand work is outstanding. He sheds blocks incredibly well as though it just comes natural to him. He anchors when he needs to although he's not a black hole, not yet anyway. His tackling needs some work but it's fine and he's young and developmental anyway. His size will fit perfectly with Miami's need on the DL and the snaps he'll take will more than justify his selection as he grows...which really puts the onus more on coaching than the player. Then again, DT is about the most sure-fire position to take in R1. The bust potential is virtually non-existent.
Grant is a smart player whose best football is absolutely in front of him. I'm both surprised and not to see Miami select him. I approve.
Caught me by surprise there, I didn’t think y’all still existed.
