By Barry Jackson
Here’s how national evaluators rated the Dolphins’ 2025 draft:
▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Dolphins a C-plus, the third worst grade he assigned any team. Here was his evaluation:
“The Dolphins missed the playoffs for the first time of 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 stones 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 since 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. [Kiper’s No. 32 cornerback] and Dante Trader [his 16th safety] 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 well work out at left tackle as Armstead’s replacement, but Miami needed options across the whole 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. Quarterback Quinn Ewers throws with touch, but I just didn’t see a lot of consistency from him. He’s a backup quarterback in the NFL.”
▪ NFL.com’s Chad Reuter gave Miami a B plus with this assessment:
“Grant’s a potential force on the defensive line, but Derrick Harmon [picked by the Steelers at No. 21 overall) and Walter Nolen (taken by the Cardinals at No. 16] could prove to be better values. Miami went with another big body in Savaiinaea to replace Robert Jones at guard, though they gave up two mid-round picks and received one in return to move up and select Savaiinaea.
“Miami wisely stockpiled a 2026 third-round pick instead of choosing someone in the fourth this year. [Defensive tackles] Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers showed the team’s commitment to stopping the run. [UF cornerback] Marshall lasted longer in the draft than I figured, given his coverage skills. [Maryland safety and fifth-round pick Dante] Trader is going to punish ball-carriers at the next level. Ewers enters a QB room in Miami where Tua Tagovailoa’s backups historically have tended to see their fair share of action.”
▪ Pro Football Focus gave Miami a B, with these breakdowns of players:
On Kenneth Grant: “A nose tackle who possesses a rare combination of size and quickness. Grant posted an 87.5 PFF run-defense grade [90th percentile] in 2024 and is an upgrade over Benito Jones. This pick further boosts a defense that ranked sixth in PFF run-defense grade last season.”
On Savaiinaea: “Makes sense as a fit in the Dolphins’ zone rushing scheme. He graded out in the 88th percentile among qualifiers in PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets over the past three seasons.”
On Phillips: “The Dolphins get excellent value here, as Phillips ranks No. 94 on the PFF Big Board. He recorded an 11.0% pass-rush win rate and a 7.6% run-stop rate in 2024.”
On Marshall: “Marshall is highly experienced, having been a regular member of the Gators’ defense from the moment he set foot on campus with solid production. However, he suffered a shoulder injury on a tackle attempt against Kentucky that cost him the final six games of the 2024 season. At 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds, Marshall has good size for the position.”
On Trader: “Has some versatility to play in the box, slot and deep. He improved his tackling woes, reducing his missed tackle rate from 18.3% in 2023 to 4.8% in 2024.”
On former Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II: “Gordon’s best season at Oklahoma State was in 2023, when he ran for 1,732 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per attempt.”
On Ewers: “Ewers was the 165th-ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board, so the Dolphins got good value with this pick [at 231]. He can eventually serve as a backup to Tagovailoa.”
On Biggers: “Has prototypical size and length for the nose tackle position, but his grading profile is underwhelming, given those traits.”
▪ SI.com’s Matt Verderame gave Miami a C-plus:
“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.”
▪ USA Today’s Nate Davis gave Miami a C-minus, the worst of any team other than Cleveland, which was given an incomplete grade.
Davis’ view of the Dolphins’ draft: “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.”
More reaction
Some other thoughts from network analysts:
▪ ESPN’s Field Yates said that Grant was the most confusing pick of the first round: “I am a fan of Grant — whose 331-pound frame will immediately boost their run defense — but felt there were other available defensive tackles who offered more pass-rush upside. My board had Walter Nolen (No. 16 to Arizona) and Derrick Harmon (No. 21 to Pittsburgh) ahead of Grant due to their superior pass-rush ability.”
▪ ESPN’s Matt Miller also wasn’t a fan of the pick: “Defensive tackle was one of the Dolphins’ needs entering the draft, but they also had to fill holes at cornerback, safety and along the offensive line, given Armstead’s retirement. Grant is a good player, but he’s primarily a nose tackle and was ranked No. 30 on my board. This seemed like a luxury pick instead of a smart one.”
Safety signed
The Dolphins have agreed to a contract with a 16th undrafted rookie free agent: 5-11 safety Seyi Oladipo, who had 23 tackles for loss, 4 INTs, 8 sacks, 15 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles in 54 games over four years at Boise State.
This story was originally published April 28, 2025 at 10:44 AM.
