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Kiper had us with a C, which is the third worst grade he gave out after the Bengals and Falcons
Miami Dolphins: C+
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 Danielstaking 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.
Palm beach post
The Miami Dolphins entered the 2025 NFL draft with 10 picks and a slew of needs.
Despite needing as much ammunition as possible to fill holes on both lines and in the secondary, the Dolphins ended up with eight picks following trades. And they went from having three picks in the top 100 to only two. That meant that after making the 37th overall pick in Round 3, they had to wait until 106 picks came off the board until they could select again.
And despite being on the brink of losing cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Miami's top cornerback selection was Florida's Jason Marshall in the fifth round.
Top pick Kenneth Grant, a defensive lineman from Michigan, may prove to be worthy of the honor alongside Zach Sieler, but for now, the choice is largely drawing a ho-hum response.
In all, general manager Chris Grier still has work to do in the back end of free agency despite having little cap space to work with.
That's why the overall Dolphins draft for 2025 rates just a C-minus.
Breaking down the individual picks:
Dolphins’ draft grade for G Jonah Savaiinaea: C-plus
The Dolphins acknowledged the need for a major upgrade on the interior offensive line, so the addition of Savaiinaea was an attempt to address that. But he allowed four sacks last season, raising the question of whether he could have been had without trading up 11 picks, costing them an extra third-round pick.
AZ Sports Day 3 and full grade, highest I saw
Grade: A
Grade: B
Grade: A
Grade: A+
Grade: B
Grade: B+
Miami Dolphins: C+
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 Danielstaking 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.
Palm beach post
The Miami Dolphins entered the 2025 NFL draft with 10 picks and a slew of needs.
Despite needing as much ammunition as possible to fill holes on both lines and in the secondary, the Dolphins ended up with eight picks following trades. And they went from having three picks in the top 100 to only two. That meant that after making the 37th overall pick in Round 3, they had to wait until 106 picks came off the board until they could select again.
And despite being on the brink of losing cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Miami's top cornerback selection was Florida's Jason Marshall in the fifth round.
Top pick Kenneth Grant, a defensive lineman from Michigan, may prove to be worthy of the honor alongside Zach Sieler, but for now, the choice is largely drawing a ho-hum response.
In all, general manager Chris Grier still has work to do in the back end of free agency despite having little cap space to work with.
That's why the overall Dolphins draft for 2025 rates just a C-minus.
Breaking down the individual picks:
Dolphins’ draft grade for DT Kenneth Grant: B-minus
The Dolphins made Michigan’s Kenneth Grant their top pick, bypassing their choice of any cornerback outside of Travis Hunter in this draft. Grant will team with Zach Sieler on the interior defensive line. He’ll face his share of double teams but says he’s comfortable with that. The Dolphins see him as a player who makes those around him better. He’ll be charged with keeping blockers off of linebacker Jordyn Brooks.Dolphins’ draft grade for G Jonah Savaiinaea: C-plus
The Dolphins acknowledged the need for a major upgrade on the interior offensive line, so the addition of Savaiinaea was an attempt to address that. But he allowed four sacks last season, raising the question of whether he could have been had without trading up 11 picks, costing them an extra third-round pick.
Dolphins’ draft grade for DT Jordan Phillips: C-minus
The Dolphins spent a fifth-round pick — only their third pick of this draft — on a player who had no sacks in college and only 1.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. He also wasn’t involved in any fumbles last season, either by recovering or forcing a takeaway.Dolphins’ draft grade for CB Jason Marshall: C
The Dolphins waited until 150 picks into the draft to address the major need at cornerback. Marshall makes some plays, but isn’t a sure tackler and needs to work on consistency.Dolphins’ draft grade for S Dante Trader Jr.: C
Trader was taken in the sixth round although NFL.com projected him to go in the seventh round if at all. His versatility could help the Dolphins. He made 59 tackles last season, so he’s active.Dolphins’ draft grade for RB Ollie Gordon: B-minus
Tough to argue with taking a seventh-round flier on a former Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back with a 1,732-yard season. Yes, his production dropped last year, but if it hadn’t, there’s little chance the Dolphins would have gotten him this late.Dolphins’ draft grade for QB Quinn Ewers: B-minus
The Dolphins used a seventh-rounder, the 231st pick, on Texas QB Quinn Ewers. It's a worthwhile gamble that isn't much of a gamble at all. Ewers has thrown 53 touchdown passes over the past two years and doesn't throw interceptions. He'll be behind Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson, so he has plenty of time to learn, improve, and tell the Dolphins whether he's NFL material.Dolphins’ draft grade for DT Zeek Biggers: C
Georgia Tech DT Zeek Biggers lives up to his name. He's 6-5 1/2 and 321 and has a knack for blocking kicks with thatAZ Sports Day 3 and full grade, highest I saw
Round 5, pick 143: Maryland DT Jordan Phillips
Miami's needed depth in the trenches, and they got it in a big way with Phillips, who should immediately slot in as a rotational piece on the Dolphins' defensive front. A need-based pick with a player who appears can help them quickly.Grade: A
Round 5, pick 150: Florida CB Jason Marshall, Jr.
Marshall is a player who didn't deliver many interceptions - only 2 in four years, which is kind of worrisome - but overall, he is a good, physical player who should hold up well when Miami is in press man particularly.Grade: B
Round 5, pick 155: Maryland S Dante Trader, Jr.
Another pick, another problem area tackled by Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel. Trader isn't big, but he hits harder than one would expect for a player of his size and tackles well, as evidenced by an incredible 4.8% missed tackle rate in 2024. He also brings some positional flexibility, with 281, 209, and 72 snaps at box safety, free safety, and nickel corner, respectively, in 2024.Grade: A
Round 6, pick 179: Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II
Gordon is someone I listed as one of my draft crushes and mocked the Dolphins to take. The team was interested enough to bring him in for a visit, and they obviously liked what they saw. He'll add a physical element to a room that needs it. Was arguably the best RB in America in 2023, so he has significant potential. Could be a steal after a down 2024 for all of Oklahoma State's offense dropped his draft stock.Grade: A+
Round 7, pick 231: Texas QB Quinn Ewers
I'm not terribly high on Ewers, as injuries and stretches of streaky play didn't have him on my list of draft crushes. However, at the seventh round, I expected him to have been gone a while before. A low price to pay to roll the dice on a player with the arm strength talent he has.Grade: B
Round 7, pick 253: Georgia Tech DT Zeek Biggers
Yet another defensive tackle, and one who won't play on a three-down basis. However, at 6'6", 321 pounds, he's a load in the middle who can clog things up and help create negative plays on early downs. A need pick with a logical choice with a legit path to making the roster. Can't hate that.Grade: B+
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