One second-year breakout candidate for the Miami Dolphins summarizes why he’s got an exciting future with one basic analogy
The say how you do anything is how you do everything. One breakout candidate for the Miami Dolphins is embodying that with one basic thing.
There’s plenty of focus on second-year defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. The 2025 Miami Dolphins first round draft pick is oozing with talent, so rightfully so. But he’s not the only defensive tackle on this roster who could break out in a big way during their second season.
Former fifth-round draft choice Jordan Phillips could be a major impact player in 2026. He flashed strong work at the point of attack in a big, big way as a rookie. And Phillips is somehow looking more dense and powerful than he did last year, when he entered the league as one of the youngest prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft. Phillips left a mark as a rookie for the Miami Dolphins. But one of the more basic things he does is a perfect embodiment for why he’s a possible breakout player.
One second year breakout candidate for the Miami Dolphins summarizes why he’s got an exciting future with one basic analogy
“Okay, I have a question. So say, for example, your pet gets loose and just runs out there in the road. Are you just going to get up and just slowly go about or are you going to run? Like you got to have urgency about everything that you do. This is a fast and physical game so you can’t walk on the field. You can’t just slow jog. No, you got to take the field because at the end of the day, there’s a guy that’s lined up in front of you who is going to try to kill you. So you got to take the field the right way. It’s just a mindset. It’s a mentality.”
— Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Jordan Phillips
My pets have gotten out before. Not a very fun experience. Football, alternatively, is a lot more fun. But the intensity of both experiences actually helps this analogy to work. At least for me.
But Phillips is absolutely right. You can’t take the moments you touch the grass for granted. And as a young player, this kind of perspective is the kind of self-awareness and wisdom that could help carry Phillips to a long, productive career as an NFL talent. The Miami Dolphins need those kinds of building blocks to move forward with. And if Phillips brings that same intentionality to everything he does, he’ll have a great chance to establish himself as one of them.
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