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With 2025 NFL training camps on the horizon, we’re starting to understand how 2025 NFL draft classes will impact each roster this season.
Let's look at the Miami Dolphins, breaking down the most likely instant-impact rookies from each class, while also providing some insight into why certain early picks may not see the field.
Who are the Miami Dolphins rookies?
- Kenneth Grant (DL, Michigan)
- Jonah Savaiinaea (OL, Arizona)
- Jordan Phillips (DL, Maryland)
- Jason Marshall Jr. (CB, Florida)
- Dante Trader Jr. (S, Maryland)
- Ollie Gordon II (RB, Oklahoma State)
- Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas)
- Zeek Biggers (DL, Georgia Tech)
Miami Dolphins Draft Class Grade:
The Miami Dolphins received a D draft grade from Sharp Football.
Which Dolphins Rookies Will Make An Impact?
The Dolphins added to the defensive line with the selection of Kenneth Grant (first round), who is likely to start immediately on the interior next to Benito Jones.
The selection was somewhat surprising because Grant is best suited for the nose tackle role, which is occupied by Jones.
However, Grant did see action as a three-tech at Michigan, and Jones is in his final contract year. So Grant might play elsewhere initially, while eventually landing at nose tackle down the road.
In the short term, expectations for Grant should be muted. When lined up as a three-tech last year, which accounted for 33% of his pass rush snaps, he generated a forgettable 5.0% pressure rate.
Grant may come off the field on passing downs when he’s not playing the nose tackle role; however, there isn’t an obvious interior pass-rusher to sub in for him.
One of the reasons the Dolphins don’t have an ideal sub-package interior pass-rusher was the choice to draft Jordan Phillips (fifth round), another nose tackle.
Although Phillips also saw some action as a three-tech, his pitiful 1.5% pressure rate in that role indicates he has less position flexibility than Grant.
Phillips and Grant will be joined by yet another nose tackle, Zeek Biggers (seventh round), whose 3.0% pressure rate as a three-tech also indicates a lack of versatility.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jonah Savaiinaea (second round) should step into a starting role at one of the guard spots, though he primarily played tackle during his career at Arizona.
Free agent addition James Daniels likely starts in one spot, while Savaiinaea will compete with incumbent right guard Liam Eichenberg for the other job.
Savaiinaea’s ability in the run game likely appealed to Miami. Even Arizona’s struggling rushing attack found some success running behind Savaiinaea last year, averaging 2.6 yards before contact running to his gap.
Jason Marshall Jr. (fifth round) never fully lived up to expectations as a five-star recruit at Florida but showed enough potential to be well worth the Day 3 selection.
Marshall thrives in man coverage, and during his three years as a full-time starter, he generated a ball-hawk rate 35% above expected based on route adjusted data.
That ball-hawk production only translated to one interception in that span, which likely contributed to him being undervalued as a prospect.
With Jalen Ramsey gone, there might be a path to a starting job for Marshall during his rookie year.
Dante Trader Jr. (fifth round) will also compete for a starting job as the Dolphins will be breaking in two new starters at safety, though one of those spots will be filled by the newly acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Trader has experience in both safety roles and will battle free agent additions Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis, as well as last year’s sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris.
Trader is undersized but is probably best suited for a role at strong safety. His 5% broken/missed tackle rate was the lowest among the safeties in this year's draft class in 2024.
Ollie Gordon II (sixth round) is a North/South runner who lacks the agility to make defenders miss. He’ll compete for the third-string job at running back, potentially serving as the short-yardage back as neither De’Von Achane nor Jaylen Wright is well suited for that role.
Gordon thrived when running behind a good Oklahoma State offensive line in 2023, which paved the way for 2.7 yards before contact per attempt. When that number dropped to 1.4 yards before contact, Gordon disappeared.
Quinn Ewers (seventh round) will have a chance to win the backup job behind Tua Tagovailoa, which is a critical job in Miami given Tagovailoa’s injury history.
Although Ewers never fully lived up to expectations as the highest ranked prospect in the history of recruiting services, he still helped carry Texas to the semifinals in consecutive years.
The challenge Ewers faces in his development at the next level will be refining his accuracy. As a pocket passer with average-at-best mobility, he needs elite accuracy to thrive in the league.
Although he’s not there yet, there is evidence of growth. Ewers’ route adjusted on-target rate climbed from 4.0% below expected as a redshirt freshman to 5.3% above expected in 2024, improving each season.
The Dolphins likely landed two immediate starters from this class, but without a third or fourth round pick, there wasn’t much else the team could do. Though this class does have the potential to turn into a surprisingly strong group if both Marshall and Trader emerge as contributors from the Day 3 crew.
This analysis continues in the 2025 Football Preview
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