Dolphins draft rewind: Miami boosts DL with Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

USA Today

20 hours ago

With the No. 13 overall selection, the Miami Dolphins selected Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
The 6-foot-3, 331-pound defensive tackle arrives in South Beach with expectations aplenty. Grant was a third-team All-American in 2024 with Michigan after tallying 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups and 32 tackles.
Grant notched five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks during the 2023 campaign in Ann Arbor en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors that season.
The nose tackle is expected to help morph the Dolphins' run defense straight away. Will he continue to fine-tune his pass-rushing acumen as well?
Let's revisit the Dolphins' first-round choice, the reaction to the selection of Grant and what we've heard since:
Miami Dolphins DT Kenneth Grant
Stats: 69 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 interception in 41 games played
What the Dolphins said after drafting Kenneth Grant
"I think the most exciting part of really adding him is you love players that are good players that make other people better players and continue to ascend to have the desire to be great. I think (he) affects the run game, affects the pass game, affects the pocket. You talk about some of the biggest impacts in the National Football League on pass downs is where the line of scrimmage is set or how much pocket push you can get.
"That in conjunction with some of the things that we'll be able to do from a defensive standpoint based upon utilizing the skill set in the run game as well where you can play various light boxes at times and have versatility, as well as a guy that can draw some attention from some other really good players. Either way, we feel like if you can add really good players on the line of scrimmage, if we had the opportunity, we were really excited about that and we jumped on this on with elation," Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said of selecting Grant in April.
Kenneth Grant's comments on joining the Dolphins
"I fit in great. It's a similar, kind of the same scheme as my previous school. Some things are a little bit different, but I think I can wreak havoc in the backfield, run and pass game. Draw attention so another teammate, now Zach Sieler, gets some sacks and I'll still too," Grant said.
Who Kenneth Grant may emulate in the NFL
During his time at the NFL Combine, Grant shared a pair of potential NFL comparisons for himself.
"I think Vita Vea, he's just a wrecking ball. He causes havoc in the backfield. Dexter Lawrence, great technique. He also comes of the ball in the one technique, zero technique. I think I got a little mixture of everybody, to be honest. I can do everything," Grant said.
How NFL experts graded the Kenneth Grant selection
A number of NFL experts shared their grades and thoughts on the Dolphins drafting Grant.
While opinions varied, CBS Sports' Pete Prisco was among those that really liked the pick by Miami. Prisco awarded a B+ grade for the Dolphins' selection.
"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."
Dolphins' mandatory minicamp update
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel updated Grant's progress during Miami's June mandatory minicamp.
"First and foremost out the gate, it was early on, I could tell he had the respect and regard of his veteran teammates by the little things that he does understanding the importance of his role on the team. He came in with a veteran-like understanding of needing to be 100 percent on what he's asked to do – his technique and fundamentals – and he works endlessly.
"So you're hitting a home run with the team when a first-round draft pick comes in with that mindset so we can work with that and veterans know you can count on that. There's been ebbs and flows like for every rookie, but what I've seen from him, I've seen early-down production where he wins based on technique and fundamentals early in the snap, and I've seen late-down wins where he's straining and utilizing grit and finish to make plays as well. He's got a lot of work to do. Every day is important. However, super happy that he's on our team and not somebody else's, and I know a lot of players that share the locker room with him would agree with that, too," McDaniel said.