The 2022 NFL draft is a week from Thursday, and while, at the moment, the Miami Dolphins will be without a first and second-round pick for the first time since 2002, it’s a good time to reflect on the Dolphins’ recent selection weekends.
Before getting into the triple threat of potential excellence from last season, the last time the Dolphins were dormant in the first two rounds of a draft was following the acquisition of Ricky Williams. This was 20 years ago after they traded for the superstar running back with the New Orleans Saints. 2003 also had a vacant first round due to the Williams mega-deal.
Miami has had their first-round pick every year since and following the Tyreek Hill trade with Kansas City early in the offseason, they begin at pick No. 102, as it stands now. In the last two drafts, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has made trades in each of the first two rounds.
Last season, Grier moved up in the second round to select Liam Eichenberg, after a deal with the New York Giants. New York sent their No. 42 overall pick to Miami, which they used to select the Notre Dame offensive lineman. In exchange, Miami sent their No. 50 overall pick last season as well as a 2022 third-round selection.
In 2020, following a pair of first-round selections in Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5 and Austin Jackson at No. 18, the Dolphins traded out of pick No. 26 with Green Bay and moved to No. 30 in addition to picking up a fourth-round pick.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Grier use a pretty loaded war chest in 2023 to hop back into the top 50 or so in this month’s draft; should he see a player he covets. Whether or not that movement happens remains to be seen but looking back at last year’s hat-trick of young studs is very encouraging for the Dolphins’ faithful.
Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips, last year’s first-round picks, have already proved they were worth the price tag. Waddle broke the league’s rookie reception record after reeling in 104 passes. All Phillips did was tally 8.5 sacks, including a run of five straight games with at least a half-sack.
As impressive as these two were, perhaps the home run of the draft, and potentially of the last decade, has been safety Jevon Holland. While showing early promise in a tough start to Miami’s 2021, Holland steadily adapted to his surroundings and became a force in the Miami defensive backfield.
After the first month of the season, the training wheels seemed to fall off for the former Oregon star, as he became a fixture all over the field, making plays in every tier of the defense. Holland showcased his versatility and range on Thursday Night Football at home against the Baltimore Ravens.
Not only did Miami upset Lamar Jackson and his Ravens, but Holland was also a revelation. He recorded five tackles, a pair of passes defended, a sack and one of the most-watched, ruthless hits of the season.
Holland also blitzed Jackson an astounding 19 times that game. When Jackson had the nerve to throw his way, Holland’s defense led the Baltimore signal-caller to have a measly 52.9 passer rating when targeting the rookie’s area.
Miami won 22-10, and following an earlier week’s win against the Houston Texans, the Dolphins began a seven-game winning streak. Holland would go on to have a superb season, finishing with 69 total tackles, 10 passes defended, 2.5 sacks, three fumbles recoveries, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
On seven occasions in his rookie season, Holland played every single defensive snap. He’s as technically sound as talented and was flagged only three times the entire year. The last flag came, ironically, against the Ravens and that was Week 10. No penalties came after that, helping to bring his 2021 PFF grade to an impressive 84.7. That’s good for fourth-highest among all NFL safeties.
It’s safe to say, Miami’s third actual selection in last year’s draft could just be the best, and if Grier and Miami choose to hang tough and wait until the third round, there’s a track record of success in his tenure.
Since Grier became general manager in 2016, his third-round picks have been Kenyan Drake, Cordrea Tankersley, Jerome Baker, Michael Deiter, Brandon Jones and last year’s rookie tight end, Hunter Long.
Either way, should Miami stay put or move up this draft, especially on the heels of an outstanding offseason of acquisitions, re-signings and restructurings, Dolphins fans should be as relaxed as Grier seems to be during this process.
Continue to trust it.