Dolphins Post-Draft Mailbag, Part 3: What Was the Biggest Surprise for Miami?

Third and final part of the post-draft Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Luigi V:

Why does Chris Grier flat out lie to you guys in such an openly and deceivingly way?

Hey Luigi, I would push back against that notion. You have to understand there are certain things any GM flat-out can’t say for various reasons and sometimes that will lead to some severe tap dancing or comments that avoid directly answering a question, but again I don’t recall out-and-out lies.

From Ed Helinski:

What, if anything, surprised you about this year’s Miami draft?

Hey Ed, without question, what surprised me was the decision to trade the fourth-round pick for a 2026 third-round selection because, as I saw it, the Dolphins needed to bring in as many picks (not really counting sixth or seventh round) as possible to build up a nice supply of cheap talent to build a foundation for the roster.

From Daddio:

I know most don't get excited about it, but how about that UDFA class!? I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of them stick and contribute early.

Hey Daddio, count me among those who don’t get overly excited about the UDFA class. And I would be very surprised if more than, say, two of them made any kind of impact early. Sorry.

From Mario Gonzalez:

Are you comfortable with giving away a fourth-round pick for the third-round pick? We were the last team to pick before the Sanders pick. Do you think that's going to hurt us in the long run?

Hey Mario, given the Dolphins’ current circumstances, I think they would have been better served by making the pick, but also understand the 2026 third now can become a bargaining chip in a potential future trade. As for Sanders, only time will tell how good an NFL quarterback he’ll become. And the bottom line is I just don’t know how the Dolphins could have brought him in given all the noise that accompanies him.

From Joe Barrett:

So what do you think of the Dolphins trading their draft picks away to get the player they want?

Hey Joe, I said on the All Dolphins Podcast I’m not crazy about the move because I felt the Dolphins needed volume and they went from having four picks between Rounds 2 and 4 to having one. So unless Jonah Savaiinaea becomes a stud, I can’t sign off on that move. But if he does, then obviously it will have been the right call.

From Miami Dolphins & Real Madrid PTY:

Biggest regret or missed pick?

We’ll find out the exact answer in a few years, but I certainly will be keeping an eye on Arizona cornerback Will Johnson, who was taken 47th overall and is somebody the Dolphins could have taken after they traded up in the second round.

From Harry:

Why are so many people convinced that Grier and McDaniel will lose their jobs if this season goes sideways? Grier, in particular, is not operating like a man whose job is in jeopardy.

Hey Harry, don’t know the answer to that question. And I can’t disagree with anything you said, though I have a hard time seeing Mike McDaniel being the head coach in 2026 if the Dolphins finish, say, 6-11 (not that I expect that to happen).

From Sean Beachem:

What rookie free agents are you most excited about?

Hey Sean, would you be upset if I answered none. I’ll get excited when I see them in the offseason program or training camp and there’s someone or something that jumps out at me, like Davone Bess always being open as a rookie free agent in 2008. I remember a few years back fans telling me over and over again running back ZaQuandre White was going to be a steal as a UDFA, only for him to get cut early. Yes, there likely will be one or two UDFAs, maybe three, who will make the roster, but always remember there’s a reason those players didn’t get drafted.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

Is this the year Waddle becomes WR 1?

Hey Dana, my best guess would be no. And that’s nothing against Waddle, but Tyreek Hill is still easily the best wide receiver on this team and I expect him to be on the roster in 2025.

From Craig M:

Hi Alain, it might have been asked already but do you think the Dolphins properly addressed their needs in this draft? I’m generally happy with what Grier did, but still think CB is a big concern. I’m assuming that the plan now will be to address in FA, which might be for the best.

Hey Craig, you kind of answered your question right there. The three big needs heading into the draft were D-tackle, interior OL and cornerback, and the Dolphins took care of the first two.

From Jayco:

I understand he dropped for a questionable medical, but wouldn't it have been wiser to trade up for Will Johnson than a non-premium position like G? Johnson was universally the much higher rated prospect.

Hey Jayco, that is the big question, isn’t it? And, as you saw in an earlier answer, I’m going to be keeping close tabs on Johnson because, absolutely, cornerback is a much more premium position than guard.

From Troy Ortiz:

Poup, how confident are you we have improved our trenches to the point we can run the ball effectively and stop the run?

Hey Troy, let’s just say I feel better about the trenches now than I did before the draft, but it’s not like there are not question marks remaining. For example, the offensive line has two unproven commodities in Patrick Paul and Savaiinaea, and the defensive line is very, very thin still.

From Jay dog Johnson:

Why the (bleep) didn’t they take Kyle McCord in the 5th round? The Super Bowl champs snatched him up with the very next pick. We wait until the seventh to get a third QB. They are a bunch of inept idiots over there. 5-7 win season.

Hey Jay, is Will McCord really that much better of an NFL prospect than Quinn Ewers that you have to resort to using “inept idiots”? Really? Based on the reality of the NFL — double check it if you’d like — the three Dolphins fifth-round picks are more likely to make some kind of contributions in the next three years than a quarterback could have made. And the Dolphins are headed for 5-7 wins because they didn’t draft McCord? Is that how that works?

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