2025 NFL Draft Grades: Miami Dolphins

Best Pick: Unlike most, I like their first-round pick in Kenneth Grant. He is a power player who fills a major need inside on their line.

Worst Pick: I like guard Jonah Savaiinaea in the second, but they gave up some picks to go up and get him. They could have waited, kept the picks and taken a different guard later. After that selection, they didn't pick again until the fifth round.

The Skinny: They only had two picks in the first four rounds, which limits what you can do. Grant is good and Savaiinaea is as well, but he better be special for what they did to get him. Quinn Ewers in the seventh is an interesting pick.

Top needs entering the draft: Safety, cornerback, defensive tackle and guard

The Dolphins missed the playoffs for the first time in the Mike McDaniel era last season, and it was their first losing record at 8-9 since 2019. Terron Armstead retired. Tyreek Hill has expressed frustration and even alluded to wanting out before walking it back. Jalen Ramsey is a trade candidate. This is a team in need of a spark, and it was a good year to have a bunch of picks. But then Miami used its first-round pick on ... a nose tackle.

Kenneth Grant is a good player, no doubt. The 331-pounder stops runners in their tracks and breaks up passes at the line of scrimmage. The Dolphins needed an impact player next to Zach Sieler on the defensive line. I just don't know that No. 13 overall was the place to find that player -- especially because Grant's pass rush upside is limited.

The bigger need falls in the secondary. Even before Miami was exploring a Ramsey trade, cornerback was a problem. Miami came to Green Bay with some combination of Storm Duck, Cam Smith and Ethan Bonner penciled in at CB2 to replace Kendall Fuller. That wasn't going to work. Safety was an even bigger issue after Jevon Holland signed with the Giants. Yet it was crickets at both positions until Day 3. Jason Marshall Jr. (CB32) and Dante Trader Jr. (S16) were the only adds.

Jonah Savaiinaea was the team's lone Day 2 selection. The Dolphins were 28th in pass block win rate (55.7%) last season. Patrick Paul might work out at left tackle as Armstead's replacement, but Miami needed options across the offensive line. Savaiinaea played tackle and guard at Arizona, and I'm projecting him as an interior blocker in the NFL. He could easily be the starter at left guard, with free agent addition James Daniels taking the right guard spot. If Paul struggled at left tackle, Savaiinaea could be a plug there; he looked good in a handful of games at left tackle last season.

I'll end with a note on quarterback Quinn Ewers: He throws with touch, but I just didn't see a lot of consistency from him. He's a backup quarterback in the NFL.

The Dolphins just put together one of the most boring draft classes I can ever remember. That's not necessarily a bad thing, to be clear—I actually like that the team focused heavily on drafting some big boys. I'm a big fan of Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who adds some much-needed disruption and physicality to the interior defensive line. Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea is a smooth-mover with heavy hands and should bring some power to the Dolphins interior offensive line. Add in Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who brings twitchy movement skills and a talent for generally creating chaos in the pocket, and you got yourself a stew going. There may not be a star in this group, but the Dolphins did something essential with this class: They got tougher in the trenches.

I can appreciate the rationale behind GM Chris Grier's decision to select massive nose guard Kenneth Grant at No. 13 overall. When the Dolphins' offense is healthy and humming, opponents have little choice but to try to run the ball to slow them down — and Grant is perfectly suited to clog up those lanes. That said, I believe the Dolphins paid an awful lot in draft capital for a player who simply hasn't dominated consistently — and the Dolphins spent two more picks on Day 3 on the position (on Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers), as well.

My favorite picks for Miami in this draft were the burly blocker Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round and the late selections of running back Ollie Gordon (179th) and quarterback Quinn Ewers (231st), each of whom are intriguing fits in Mike McDaniel's offense.

Here's why: The Dolphins add to the trenches with their first two selections. Kenneth Grant isn't someone I had linked to Miami, but it's a selection that I've liked the more I've marinated on it. Grant is big, athletic, sturdy against the run, and has upside as a disruptor against the run and pass. His best ball is in front of him and he joins a Dolphins front that has some serious teeth to it. Jonah Savaiinaea is a big guard, but moves well (which matched his testing at the NFL scouting combine), making him a good fit for the Dolphins. They moved up to get Savaiinaea, and I would have liked them to add even more numbers to their line, but he fits a need and went in the proper range of where he was predicted to go. Dante Trader Jr. is a fifth-round selection who gives the Dolphins more bodies at safety.

Most interesting pick: Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State

Gordon is a different type of flavor at running back that the speed-addicted Dolphins have taken in the past. He's a big, bruiser who can build up speed in space. He was wildly productive in 2023, but some wear and tear slowed him down in 2024. De'Von Achane and Jaylen Wright already provide plenty of speed, so now the Dolphins have a player with some bulk to take tough carries like on short yardage.

They absolutely needed to get tougher in the trenches — on both sides of the ball. So from that standpoint, spending their only picks ahead of the fifth round on DT Kenneth Grant (Round 1) and G Jonah Savaiinaea (Round 2) made sense. Conversely, were they both slight reaches relative to their draft position or even the best available options at their respective positions? The team's spotty track record, especially on the O-line, makes one wonder.

The Dolphins did well with their selections, but it's tough to get a top grade when you make only two picks through the first four rounds. Miami added a much-needed guard to its offensive line in Savaiinaea, who could start as a rookie. Grant, their first-round pick, is a 331-pound run-stuffer who also provides some juice as a pass rusher. He'll fit nicely on a front four which includes Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.

The Dolphins didn't draft an offensive tackle after Terron Armstead retired, meaning they must have a lot of faith in Patrick Paul. They also severely reached on guard Jonah Savaiinaea with the 37th overall pick while drafting three defensive tackles and Quinn Ewers.