Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel on Friday night addressed the selection of Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea in a deal that sent the 37th pick (Jonah Savaiinaea) and a fifth-round pick to Miami and the Dolphins’ second, third and first of two fourth rounders to Las Vegas:
The trade sends picks 48, 98 and 135 to Las Vegas and the 37th and 143rd picks to the Dolphins.
Here’s what the GM and coach had to say:
▪ Grier said Savaiinaea is expected to be a starter and will play guard. “To have someone as big and athletic as he is to play four spots is key,” Grier said.
▪ Did Grier worry about not having a chance to pick a corner at 98? “Didn’t weigh [on me] at all. This was a player we are very convicted on, his size, his power, his versatility. Athletic kid. Can play tackle, guard. He was the right kind of kid for us. He was the highest-rated guy we had. Took a 30 visit here. The opportunity arose and we took it.”
Besides the 30 visit, he also did a private workout with Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry.
▪ But what about giving up a second, third and fourth round picks for a second and fifth?
“It’s always tough,” Grier said. “Draft picks are valuable. This was a player that will be a starter for us. He’ll play guard.”
▪ McDaniel implied he wanted to add quality guards: This was “something we identified a long time ago that needs to be our focus. Pass protection and run scheme are a great fit for him.”
▪ What about adding corners? “The draft is not over,” Grier said. “It’s something we will address and keep working through. There are good players in the middle rounds we felt comfortable with, especially corners and safeties, offensive line, d-line.“
▪ With cornerback the team’s only glaring need, I asked Grier and McDaniel if they will make any attempt, or have any desire, to try to reconcile with disgruntled cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who the team continues to try to trade. Grier handled the question: “I Never close any doors but I’m just going to focus on the draft and players we are adding to the team.”
▪ Asked what he thinks about the new-look offensive line (tackles Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson, center Aaron Brewer and guards James Daniels and Savaiinaea), Grier said:
“We are excited about the group. Offensive line we know what the talk was around here. When we added Connor Williams, good players of value, offensive line is a focus. We we will always defend those guys. They’re the hardest working guys out there. Adding some youth in there with Robert Hunt leaving in free agency a year ago was important.
“We’re excited about James Daniels just like we were Brew last year. We’re invested in it, getting younger. Patrick Paul coming in last year and learning from T Stead [retiring Terron Armstead]. He was influential with Patrick.”
McDaniel’s view on the new-look offensive line:
“It’s about getting better. We’ve been very focused finding the right people to take advantage of the opportunity we have. We feel convicted in players we’ve added this year and players we’ve added at that position. We have the right type of guys to go to work and they can define what the offensive line is.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2025 at 8:07 PM.
