NFL Draft analyst makes puzzling statement while calling Miami Dolphins' draft pick the biggest head scratcher of the 2025 NFL Draft
The Miami Dolphins didn't go flashy with their first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft last month. In fact, finally, they began to do what they should have done in previous years: beef up on the lines of scrimmage. They started doing that by taking Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the 13th overall […]
The Miami Dolphins didn't go flashy with their first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft last month. In fact, finally, they began to do what they should have done in previous years: beef up on the lines of scrimmage.
They started doing that by taking Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the 13th overall pick. Grant will immediately step in as a plug-and-play starter next to Zach Sieler.
However, ESPN's Matt Miller listed the move as his biggest head scratching pick by any team in the draft. Miller had the following to say about the pick:
"This was both a poor value — Grant was an early-Round 2 player for me — and a luxury, given the Dolphins' needs at cornerback and safety. Grant is certainly a good player, but the value just felt off." – Matt Miller, ESPN
You can debate value/draft projection, whether or not the Dolphins reached here for Grant. That's a fair issue to argue.
But a luxury pick? Yeah, I can't get with that. The Dolphins' defensive tackle group before the draft began was Sieler, Benito Jones, Matt Dickerson, and Neil Farrell. That's just not good enough, and it's not close. A luxury pick would indicate the team was drafting in an area where they didn't need help. That's completely the opposite of the case here.
Yes, the Dolphins also have a huge need at cornerback, with two starting spots needing to be filled barring an unexpected reconciliation with Jalen Ramsey. However, they also needed to find a starter on the defensive line, and if they viewed Grant as a better option than corner in that spot, it's hard to knock the move. It's especially hard to gripe, given they made a concerted effort to address what has been one of their primary shortcomings in recent years: becoming more physical.
Grant was anything but a luxury pick, and while not a sexy pick, he should be the first building block in what the Dolphins hope become more imposing lines of scrimmage for years to come.
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