5 Burning Questions for Dolphins Rookies as They Report to Camp

In April, General Manager Chris Grier made his intentions clear: the Miami Dolphins needed to draft players ready to contribute immediately.

That plan takes center stage this week as the team’s rookies report to training camp Tuesday, one week before veterans arrive at the Baptist Health Training Complex on July 22. First-year players typically get extra time to adjust, but in a pivotal season for the front office and coaching staff, Miami is counting on its rookies to hit the ground running.

Entering the draft with 10 picks and clear roster holes on both sides of the ball, the Dolphins selected eight players, including two early picks that add much-needed size in the trenches. However, Miami did not make any picks between rounds two and five.

In need of a boost from a new wave of players, here are five questions with the Dolphins' rookie class reporting for training camp.

What’s Kenneth Grant’s Ceiling?

Miami struck gold with the addition of Calais Campbell late last offseason, but now enters a new era after selecting Grant with the No. 13 overall pick.

At 6-4 and 331 pounds, the Dolphins hope Grant can be a consistent force at defensive tackle next to Zach Sieler following back-to-back seasons as a second-team All-Big Ten member with the Michigan Wolverines. He finished his junior season with 32 tackles and seven tackles for a loss, but how quickly can his power and physicality translate to the NFL level?

Miami’s first-round pick was the team’s most impactful route to improving the roster this offseason, and the investment in Grant filled a clear need up front. On top of that, he enters a favorable situation next to Sieler while the trio of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, and Chop Robinson swarm off the edge.

Grant’s three years at Michigan suggest he enters the NFL with a steady floor as a defensive tackle, but training camp will be the first real opportunity to set the bar for his ceiling as a rookie.

Is Jonah Savaiinaea An Undisputed Day 1 Starter?

The Dolphins traded second, third, and fourth-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders to select Savaiinaea No. 37 because he can step in and start Week 1, right?

After struggling to get much of a push up front last season, Miami made a focused decision to reinforce the offensive line by adding James Daniels and Savaiinaea to take over as starting guards. While Mike McDaniel’s quick-strike scheme helps reduce sacks, short-yardage situations have been an issue in recent years.

Savaiinaea, who still hasn’t signed his rookie contract, was a team captain in his final season at Arizona while starting 11 games, five at left tackle and six at right. The move up to acquire Savaiinaea is the first time the Dolphins traded up for a lineman since trading with the New York Giants to select Liam Eichenberg out of Notre Dame in 2021.

Considering the investment, Miami is confident he can seamlessly transition to guard, where he started 15 games during his time at Arizona. After drafting Grant and two other defensive tackles, showing out as one of the team’s top linemen early in camp would be a promising first step in Savaiinaea’s professional career.

More Than a Late-Round Flyer?

Quinn Ewers was the second seventh-round quarterback selected by the Dolphins since McDaniel became head coach. While Skylar Thompson started a playoff game in his rookie season, he was unable to develop into a reliable backup option.

Ewers’ fall wasn’t the most surprising for a quarterback in the draft, but few expected him to last that long. Late-round picks are rarely second-team All-SEC quarterbacks coming off 3,472 passing yards and 31 touchdowns in 14 games.

“I didn’t expect to fall as low as I did, but circumstances being, it is what it is at the end of the day, and I have the same opportunity as everybody else does, and I’m beyond thankful for that,” Ewers said in May. “And I just want to go in there and play my game at the end of the day and learn and develop as a quarterback.”

With Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history, Miami is wise to add another player to the quarterback room. Zach Wilson was signed early in free agency, but he hasn’t started a game since 2023. He spent last season with the Denver Broncos, but was the team’s third quarterback behind rookie Bo Nix and No. 2 Jarrett Stidham.

With more than 9,000 yards and 68 touchdowns in his three seasons at Texas, where coach Steve Sarkisian ran an offense that followed similar concepts to McDaniel’s scheme, Ewers is a legitimate wildcard despite being a seventh-round pick.

Will Mike McDaniel Unlock Another Running Back?

Ollie Gordon II finished seventh in the Heisman Voting in 2023. He was a sixth-round pick in 2024.

Gordon was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, rushing for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 games at Oklahoma State. Gordon fell back to earth in his junior year and was drafted in the sixth round after averaging 4.6 yards on 190 rushing attempts last season.

Just one year removed from ranking among the nation’s top running backs, Gordon’s potential meshes well with Miami’s offense. De’Von Achane averaged nearly eight yards per carry as a rookie, and Raheem Mostert led the league with 18 rushing touchdowns, while the rushing attack as a whole averaged five yards per carry in 2023.

Behind Achane, Miami invested a future third-round pick to draft Jaylen Wright last year. He’s projected to be the team’s RB2, with Gordon and Alexander Mattison also in the mix.

The Dolphins have a pair of Day 2 picks at running back, so Gordon faces an uphill climb as a late-round selection. He could be buried on the depth chart early, but it’ll be hard not to think of a breakout 2023 campaign if he steals the spotlight in training camp.

Can At Least One Fifth-Round Pick Break Through?

The Dolphins entered the offseason with holes at defensive tackle, cornerback, and safety. In the fifth round, they drafted a defensive tackle, a cornerback, and a safety.

Grant is the heavy favorite to start as we’ve discussed, and the team recently filled another spot by acquiring safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the Jalen Ramsey trade. However, Miami needs to fill out a 53-man roster, not just a starting lineup.

After trading picks for established talent in past years, Miami spent this offseason getting younger and developing depth on a defense that might’ve been considered top-heavy in recent years. It’s unlikely all three fifth-rounders carve out roles in Year 1, but the Dolphins made a clear effort to target spots where depth was a problem.

Jordan Phillips started 12 games at Maryland last season and could develop into a steady rotational piece behind Sieler and Grant at defensive tackle. Speaking of Maryland, safety Dante Trader Jr. was named an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention after 59 tackles and an interception in 10 starts for the Terps.

Miami invested less at cornerback, making Jason Marshall Jr. a promising candidate for a roster spot. Despite a shoulder injury last season, he started seven games at Florida, recording 20 tackles, four pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

Contributing as a role player isn’t the same as earning a starting job, but both are vital for a team that’s struggled to maintain late-season energy. If even one fifth-round rookie can carve out a role, it would strengthen a roster that’s often been stretched too thin at crucial moments.

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