Another developmental project from the Miami Dolphins’ Chris Grier era ends, but his final impression fails to tell the whole story
The journey for one Miami Dolphins developmental project is finally over after five long years.
The Miami Dolphins signed one player but released two on Monday. The move brought an end to one of the long-running developmental projects from the old regime.
Offensive lineman Kion Smith, who showed promising athleticism but a major need for development, was one of two outgoing players on Monday afternoon. Smith saw action in two seasons for Miami, 70 snaps in 2023 and then 146 snaps in 2025, sandwiched around a preseason injury that cost him all of 2024. It’s an unceremonious end, but his lasting impression with Dolphins fans should come with an asterisk.
Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Kion Smith got no favors in his final season in South Florida
Kion Smith’s 2025 play across nearly 150 total snaps was forgettable, to say the least. Smith, taking over for veteran James Daniels, lasted just two and a half games at right guard before getting benched in favor of Daniel Brunskill in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills. There were quick losses, negative plays in the run game, and penalties. Smith saw just nine offensive snaps the rest of the season.
But as Smith leaves South Florida, I choose to fondly remember the flashes of 2023. Because Smith was, undoubtedly, a tackle. He’s always been a tackle. And when asked to play tackle (sparingly) in 2023, he looked promising. But the Miami Dolphins’ attempts to cross-train him for positional flexibility ultimately proved to be a bridge too far.
At some point, developmental players need to truly develop. And for one reason or another, the leaps weren’t big enough or fast enough for Smith. The other half of this reality is that developmental players are both young and cheap. Smith is in the prime of his life, just 27 years of age. But he turns 28 this fall — and who he is as an NFL player now, after five seasons in the league, is probably close to who he ultimately could be.
And so Smith was released on Monday, marking the departure of another pet project from the Chris Grier era with the team. And in his place, the Miami Dolphins will likely target someone younger. That’s the circle of life in the NFL. There’s no shame in that. The only shame is that Smith’s most recent NFL film comes playing right guard. It’s not a great indication of who he is, even amid the warts. The old guard in Miami found that out the hard way last season, no matter how much they willed and hoped otherwise.
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