The Miami Dolphins picked Grant with the 13th selection. Why?
Christian Wilkins plays for the Las Vegas Raiders. Calais Campbell plays for the Arizona Cardinals. And the Miami Dolphins had to find a way to fill a massive hole on their defensive line. They did that with the 13th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night as they selected Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
No one should be more excited about this pick than Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler. Suddenly, teams need to decide how they will be blocking the Miami defensive line in 2025 – something that did not seem to be a problem a couple of hours ago.
Grant is a 6-foot-4, 331 pound monster being added to the Dolphins defensive line. He is a nose tackle who can immediately eat up blockers in front of him, freeing up space for Sieler to disrupt the pocket around opposing quarterbacks.
And that does not even mention the pass rush coming from linebacker Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Chop Robinson.
Grant also immediately gives Miami a formidable run defense. Teams are going to have to run away from the big man in the middle, heading straight into the rushing linebackers.
NFL Network analysts Lance Zierlein wrote of Grant before the draft, “Grant is a broad-bodied nose tackle whose tape can run hot and cold depending on the game and the types of blocks he’s facing. He struggles to anchor when hit with down blocks due to his narrow base and tall pads, but he uses his power and length to beat single blocks and split double teams when he finds the crease. He had some sack production in college, and we could see him improve in that area once he learns to create more rush space with his hands. Grant’s game will finally come together in full when he’s able to take his impressive physical attributes and impose his will on opponents.”
The Dolphins defense filled a hole on Thursday night and they upgraded the defense immediately. Miami appears set to attack opposing quarterbacks and force them to make decisions quickly.
Dolphins defensive line depth chart:
Zach Sieler
Kenneth Grant – Rookie
Benito Jones
Matt Dickerson
Neil Farrell
Miami Dolphins 2025 Draft Picks
13th overall (1st round) – Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
48th overall (2nd round)
98th overall (3rd round, compensatory)
116th overall (4th round)
135th overall (4th round, compensatory)
150th overall (5th round)
155th overall (5th round, from DEN)
224th overall (7th round, from CHI)
231st overall (7th round)
253rd overall (7th round, compensatory)
Pre-draft traded picks:
79th overall (3rd round, to PHI to WAS to HOU)
192 overall (6th round, to CHI to CLE)