{"id":6191,"date":"2025-04-28T05:39:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T05:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/6191\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T05:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T05:39:12","slug":"dolphins-rookie-kenneth-grant-already-under-big-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/6191\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolphins rookie Kenneth Grant already under big pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIAMI GARDENS \u2014 Kenneth Grant, the former Michigan run-stuffing nose tackle\/defensive tackle who the Miami Dolphins<\/a> made their first-round pick on Thursday, is tasked with a pressure-filled demand before his NFL career sees its first snap.<\/p>\n

Grant<\/a>, to bluntly put things in perspective, is required to be a rock star on a veteran-laden team.<\/p>\n

Grant, an imposing figure at 6 foot 4, 331 pounds, must anchor the most important draft class<\/a> in the three-year era of Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s not a stretch to think that Grant, depending on his rookie season performance, could save the jobs of Grier and McDaniel \u2014 or cost them their jobs.<\/p>\n

So, yeah, you could say there\u2019s pressure on the rookie.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the NFL.<\/p>\n

Grant, for the record, doesn\u2019t think the pressure will consume him. He thinks he can be a difference-maker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a culture-changer for sure,\u201d Grant said during Friday evening\u2019s introductory new conference.<\/p>\n

Some analysts think Grant was drafted too high at No. 13, that he should have gone somewhere in the 20s, perhaps.<\/p>\n

At first, Grant said he disregards critics. But he added he\u2019ll use that as fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho doesn\u2019t want to use that as fuel?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Grant thinks he\u2019s a good fit for the Dolphins\u2019 3-4 defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fit in great \u2026 some things are a little bit different, but I think I can wreak havoc in the backfield, run and pass game,\u201d Grant said. \u201cDraw attention so another teammate, now Zach Sieler, gets some sacks and I\u2019ll still, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grant, of course, was part of a group that got the job done at Michigan, going from being oh-so-close to winning the national title in 2023. So he has a taste of being successful in such a transition.<\/p>\n

He said the lessons at Michigan will translate to the NFL, especially on big lesson.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t take a day off because if you take a day off that\u2019s another opportunity for another team to get better so you always want to be on your Ps and Qs and bring it every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Miami Dolphins\u2019 first-round draft pick DT Kenneth Grant | PHOTOS<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Regardless, Grant\u2019s task gets tougher when you consider the second and third rounds is where Grier\u2019s drafts usually fall off a bit recently.<\/p>\n

Consider the names.<\/p>\n

Guard Liam Eichenberg and tight end Hunter Long, a pair of 2021 second- and third-round picks; linebacker Channing Tindall, the 2022 third-round pick; cornerback Cam Smith, the 2023 second-round pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If that trend holds true for the 2025 draft, there\u2019s even more pressure on Grant to play well and make Grier and McDaniel look good.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that Grant, as a recent first-round pick under Grier, has a decent chance for success.<\/p>\n

Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips were 2021 first-round picks. Edge rusher Chop Robinson was a 2024 first-round pick. They\u2019re all pretty good. So there\u2019s a good chance Grant meets the challenge.<\/p>\n

Among Grant\u2019s biggest enemies will be those drafted after he was selected.<\/p>\n

Penn State tight end Kyle Warren, who went No. 14 to Indianapolis, one pick after Grant.<\/p>\n

Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen who went No. 16 to Arizona.<\/p>\n

North Dakota State guard-tackle Grey Zabel, who went No. 18 to Seattle.<\/p>\n

Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, who went No. 20 to Seattle.<\/p>\n

The Dolphins, in a draft crucial to the futures of Grier and McDaniel, bypassed these players and others to select Grant, a player many analysts think was over-drafted at No. 13.<\/p>\n

Grant, for his own sake and the sake of Grier and McDaniel, can\u2019t allow them to be correct. He must prove them wrong.<\/p>\n

Grant\u2019s versatility will help.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust being versatile, that\u2019s the biggest impact that you can make,\u201d Grant said. \u201cMe being able to play from the 0, 1, 2, 3, playing all those techniques, I think I can play all of those pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s hope so.<\/p>\n

About two weeks ago my colleague, Dave Hyde, pointed out 10 notable poor Dolphins draft-day choices<\/a> that had lasting consequences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two of those choices \u2014 Waddle over Detroit right tackle Penei Sewell, and Tindall over Kansas City linebacker Leo Chanal \u2014 were made in the Grier\/McDaniel era.<\/p>\n

Grant can\u2019t go on that list.<\/p>\n

Grier and McDaniel won\u2019t survive.<\/p>\n

This is the second consecutive year the Dolphins have used their first-round pick on a defensive lineman. Last year it was Robinson, selected at No. 21. He had a strong finish to his rookie season to end with 6.0 sacks.<\/p>\n

Grant will be required to play just as well or perhaps better than Robinson did as a rookie.<\/p>\n

Grant, of course, won\u2019t have similar sack numbers.<\/p>\n

Grant\u2019s strengths are stopping the run, commanding double teams, and occupying blockers so inside linebackers such as Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson get the glory and the stats.<\/p>\n

Grant must be just as effective as Robinson, or better.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of pressure on Grant to have a strong rookie season as a prideful player, as a first-round pick, as a first-rounder for a Dolphins team that struggled to an 8-9 finish last season, and as a first-round pick on a team that\u2019s had a tumultuous offseason.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t forget there\u2019s also a lot of pressure on Grant to have a strong rookie season as a first-rounder because Grier\u2019s and McDaniel\u2019s jobs might be on the line if Grant, and this draft class, don\u2019t have a good showing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MIAMI GARDENS \u2014 Kenneth Grant, the former Michigan run-stuffing nose tackle\/defensive tackle who the Miami Dolphins made their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6192,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2049],"tags":[217,7,1494,216,251,2087,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-6191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-miami-dolphins","8":"tag-dolphins","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-kenneth-grant","11":"tag-miami","12":"tag-miami-dolphins","13":"tag-miamidolphins","14":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114413985125168618","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}