The Miami Dolphins entered the 2025 NFL Draft with many holes to fill. There were question marks about the fates of wide receiver Tyreek Hill and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and they could still indeed get moved on Day 3 of this weekend’s draft. If for some reason they are involved in trades, that’s two more holes to add to a running list.
General manager Chris Grier knows he’s on the hot seat and knows he needs to ace this draft with flying colors.
With so many roster issues, the Dolphins really could have gone a variety of ways in round one and no one would have batted an eye. And, after losing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, DT was absolutely a priority. So, the Dolphins went ahead and drafted defensive tackle Kenneth Grant out of the University of Michigan with the No. 13-overall pick. Did they solve the problem? Who knows? We’ll see. Did they address a need? They absolutely did.
A couple of writers from USA Today have offered their draft grades and opinions on the Dolphins top pick.
USA Today Dolphins first-round draft grades
Round 1, Pick 13: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY Sports: B
“Miami has a massive need at defensive tackle and get a massive prospect to fill that need. Grant is a lot of projection at this point but has ridiculous athletic tools considering his 6-foot-3, 330-pound frame. He’s a great fit for the Dolphins at nose tackle. There aren’t many offensive linemen worth taking at this point and Grant has a high ceiling at the position.”
Hal Habib, The Palm Beach Post: B-
“The Dolphins were determined to address the defense, which has lost safety Jevon Holland and defensive tackle Calais Campbell since the end of last season via free agency and are in position to lose cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
“The Dolphins bypassed a top cornerback in Texas’ Jaedah Barron to take Grant. Perhaps they feel they can address the secondary in Rounds 2 and 3.”
No shortage of draft grades
Looking around the interwebs, there were several other media outlets that threw their hats into the ring as well and graded the Dolphins’ first round exam.
Sports Illustrated (Matt Verderame): C
“Analysis: Grant doesn’t get the same amount of attention as his former teammate in Mason Graham, but he’s a first-round talent all day. The 331-pounder was a dominant force on the interior for Michigan, showing the ability to stuff the run while also getting upfield to total 6.5 sacks over the past two years. He’s the best pure nose tackle in this class.”
NFL.com (Chad Reuter): B-
“Analysis: Grant could grow to become a powerful tackle in the Dexter Lawrence mold. He possesses good feet for his size. He’ll need to play with a lower pad level against NFL interior linemen, though, and must show the ability to affect the passer to be more than a two-down tackle. It’s not clear to me that Grant was the top tackle on the board at No. 13, with Derrick Harmon still available. It’s also worth noting that Jahdae Barron could have filled a pressing need in the secondary for the Dolphins.”
CBS Sports (Pete Prisco): B+
“Analysis: The Dolphins had to get an interior defensive lineman and Grant fits in perfectly. He is a big, power player who can line up next to Zach Sieler. I like this pick for a team desperate for defensive line help.”
FOX Sports (Rob Rang: C-
“Analysis: The injury to Tua Tagovailoa was obviously the biggest factor in Miami’s disappointing 8-8 season, but don’t overlook the loss of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to the Raiders in free agency. This club needed girth and power inside and few in this class provide that more than Grant, a burly intimidator in the middle. Grant is unique in that along with his bulk, he’s also a very smart defender, getting his hands up to knock down passes and kicks. That said, while the position was clearly one of need for Miami, I didn’t see Grant as worthy of a top-20 selection and question the value of this pick.”
