Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 8: Big Second Year for 2025 First-Round Pick Kenneth Grant
The Miami Dolphins will head into training camp at the end of July with a totally different roster than the one that ended the 2025 season after an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of several significant veterans and the arrival of newcomers young and old.
The Dolphins have 91 players on their roster with the exemption they have for England-born rookie tight end Seydou Traore, a participant of the International Player Pathway Program.
As life goes in the NFL, not every player on the roster is equal, so we decided to rank all of them in terms of their importance to the Dolphins' success in the 2026 season. The list was determined on the basis of not just ability but also expected role and significance to the overall progress of the organization as it continues the rebuilding project that began with the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach.
This is part of a series that will run in the lead-up to start of training camp.
NUMBER 8: DT KENNETH GRANT
How he joined the Dolphins
The Dolphins selected Grant in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. He was the 13th overall selection.
Contract status
Grant is entering the second year of his four-year, $22 million rookie contract that included a $12.6 million signing bonus with a team fifth-year option. His cap number for 2026 is $5 million. Grant is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2029 or 2030 if the Dolphins exercise the fifth-year option.
His 2025 season
Grant played all 17 games and made five starts. He finished with 33 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one pass defensed. While Jordan Phillips started more games, it was Grant who was second on the team in snaps behind Zach Sieler among the team's defensive tackles. Pro Football Focus gave Grant a season grade of 48.4, which ranked 102nd among the 127 interior defensive linemen with enough snaps to qualify on their leader board.
His projected role
The Dolphins are expected to use more four-man front on defense under new head coach Jeff Hafley, and there's reason to hope/think/believe it will help unlock Grant's full potential and maximize his skill set as an athletic big man. Grant figures to line up next to Sieler at defensive tackle and become the full-time starter instead of Jordan Phillips, who's more of a run stuffer. Grant showed flashes as a rookie in 2025, but not nearly enough to make the Dolphins comfortable or confident he'll become an impactful player for years to come, which makes this an important season for him not only in how he could help the defense in 2026 but serve as a foundational piece for years to come. He's without question one of the players who'll be under a big spotlight in camp and in the fall.
THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS ON THE COUNTDOWN
90. G James Ester
89. T Kevin Cline
88. QB Mark Gronowski
87. DT Keith Cooper Jr.
86. EDGE Seth Coleman
85. RB Anthony Hankerson
84. WR Donaven McCulley
83. FB D.J. Herman
82. C Jim Bonitas
81. LS Tucker Addington
80. DT Alex Huntley
79. T Marques Cox
78. EDGE Rodney McGraw
77. TE Cole Turner
76. DT Khalil Saunders
75. CB Miles Battle
74. S Major Burns
73. RB Carlos Washington Jr.
72. EDGE Robert Beal Jr.
71. WR A.J. Henning
70. RB Donovan Edwards
69. DB Omar Brown
68. EDGE Cameron Goode
67. WR Jalen Reagor
66. EDGE Max Llewellyn
65. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
64. CB Ethan Robinson
63. G/T Josh Priebe
62. DT Rene Konga
61. WR Tahj Washington
60. QB Cam Miller
59. CB A.J. Green III
58. EDGE Mason Reiger
57. CB Alex Austin
56. P Bradley Pinion
55. LB Jackson Woodard
54. K Zane Gonzalez
53. S Louis Moore
52. DT Matthew Butler
51. CB Marco Wilson
50. CB Darrell Baker Jr.
49. LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.
48. T Charlie Heck
47. WR Chris Bell
46. CB Storm Duck
45. WR Theo Wease Jr.
44. TE Seydou Traore
43. G DJ Campbell
42. G/C Andrew Meyer
41. K Riley Patterson
40. S Michael Taaffe
39. CB Ethan Bonner
38. TE Ben Sims
37. EDGE David Ojabo
36. S Lonnie Johnson Jr.
35. Zayne Anderson
34. EDGE Josh Uche
33. WR Jalen Tolbert
32. EDGE/LB Trey Moore
31. LB Willie Gay Jr.
30. RB Jaylen Wright
29. WR Kevin Coleman Jr.
28. G Jonah Savaiinaea
27. DT Zeek Biggers
26. LB Kyle Louis
25. RB Ollie Gordon II
24. WR Tutu Atwell
23. G/T Jamaree Salyer
22. WR Malik Washington
21. DT Jordan Phillips
20. WR Caleb Douglas
19. LB Jacob Rodriguez
18. CB Jason Marshall Jr.
17. S Dante Trader Jr.
16. TE Will Kacmarek
15. QB Quinn Ewers
14. LB Tyrel Dodson
13. T Austin Jackson
12. CB JuJu Brents
11. TE Greg Dulcich
10. DT Zach Sieler
9. T Patrick Paul
Today's best reads
- Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 17: How Big a Jump Can Trader Make in Second Year?
- Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 15: Can Ewers Excel If Needed?
- Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 18: What Exactly Will Be the Marshall Plan?
- Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 9: Is Paul On His Way to Elite Status?
- Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 16: Kacmarek a Clear Building Block
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This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 9:00 AM.