Dolphins 2025 Draft Picks' Most Revealing Comments

Some things we learned about the Miami Dolphins’ eight draft picks through their most notable quotes:

FIRST-ROUND PICK KENNETH GRANT

As is always the case with the first-round pick, the South Florida media got to speak with Grant twice during the draft, via Zoom right after his selection and then in person at the Baptist Health Training Complex in a formal press conference Friday.

Maybe the one thing that stood out was Grant revealing that one thing he wants to buy is a pond. Yes, a pond.

See, Grant is an avid fisherman, something he got from his late grandfather.

"He’s really the reason I got into fishing and why I love the outdoors so much," Grant said. "He taught me how to fish, put a hook on the line, put a bobber on the line; all the small things you start off with fishing. So I mean that’s one of my great hobbies. And my grandma, she’s still alive, God bless, but she’s been through her hardships and me being able to see her coming out of her hardships and still prosper and be happy for me. I can only do so much – keep pushing, I just want to keep pushing for her.”

From a pure football standpoint, Grant said he understands the pressure and expectations that came with being the 13th overall pick in the draft.

"There’s obviously pressures and expectations, but I’ve got to live up to those pressures and expectations, you know?" he said. "(Head Coach) Chris Grier, Coach Mike (McDaniel) and (Defensive Line) Coach Austin Clark, they obviously got high expectations in me, so they’re going to help me — it’s a two-way street. I ultimately want to take control and be a key contributor.”

SECOND-ROUND PICK JONAH SAVAIINAEA

The offensive lineman from Arizona said it was meaningful to him that the Dolphins selected him after trading up for that opportunity.

Like Tua Tagovailoa, Savaiinaea is Polynesian, and that naturally came up during his Zoom media session.

(“I met him before at the Polynesian Bowl back in ’22," Savaiinaea said. "As soon as I’d seen the Florida number, I immediately thought ‘Tua, that’s who I’m going to block (for) hopefully in the future.’ And shoot, I’m just excited man. It’s funny because I’ve blocked for only Polynesian quarterbacks all my career, and just going into the league and Tua being a Polynesian quarterback, God never makes mistakes. He wants me to block for my people, so I’m there.”

Savaiinaea indicated he's never been to South Florida before, but he's childhood friends with University of Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa, whose brother Francisco (a linebacker) was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets this year.

FIFTH-ROUND PICK JORDAN PHILLIPS

What stands out about Phillips, beyond the leadership and work ethic he brings, is the name because the Dolphins drafted another defensive tackle with the exact same name 10 years ago.

And, as we chronicled when Phillips spoke at the combine in Indianapolis this year, the younger Jordan Phillips was familiar with the Dolphins' 2015 second-round pick from Oklahoma.

"Absolutely," Phillips said Saturday. "So one thing about me, I study every D-tackle that’s like in terms of being at the top of their game, I study every great D-tackle. And even all different types of D-tackles in the league and I have watched Jordan Phillips, as a matter of fact. I watched him early on in his career when he was with the Dolphins and then when he went to the Cardinals and then now the Bills. He’s physical, real good run stopper. He gets after it pretty good and he’s a 10-plus-year vet, so that’s great.”

Not to pick on Phillips, but we did find interesting that he said he was not familiar with the fellow defensive tackle and new teammate Zach Sieler, who just happened to be the Dolphins MVP in 2024, though that obviously should change pretty soon.

FIFTH-ROUND PICK JASON MARSHALL JR.

Getting drafted by the Dolphins will give Marshall the chance to play for his hometown team, something he described as "surreal."

While he didn't specifically say he grew up a Dolphins fan, he said they definitely were "up there" and fondly remember attending games at Hard Rock Stadium, though he didn't any specific favorite memories.

“Honestly just being there. Being a little kid and just going to the stadium, sitting in the stadium seats and like, ‘Man, I’m dreaming to be here.’ And today that opportunity came up and now I’m going to be on the field. I would say that’s the biggest thing. Being able to see all the players that went through Dolphins history that played on that field these previous seasons, but now my name being called and I’m having the opportunity to go and play on the field as well.”

FIFTH-ROUND PICK DANTE TRADER JR.

Trader was a two-sport athlete at Maryland, but it wasn't football and track or even football and basketball like most two-sports athletes. No, his other sport was lacrosse.

And Trader played it until he made football his only sport in 2024. Trader said he had to work really hard at lacrosse to become good enough to play it collegiately, whereas football came naturally.

As for how lacrosse can benefit him on the football field, Trader had this to say: “I would say physically I had to cover on an island. There is a lot more space for lacrosse. Just being able to move and then change of direction. So I have the short-area quickness that DBs need. And I would say a skill that I didn’t realize until the back end is the mental part of the game. So just going two sports allowed me to be resilient and nothing can really bother me and get to me. Also lacrosse is very mental, kind of like a baseball game. You get in slumps and you control the ball; your play gets exposed. In football you can be nervous and be not so good and there are 10 other people to cover up your mistakes. So just being able to have the confidence you need to especially be a DB. Like we get beat one time and we get called terrible. So you’ve got to be able to be next play mentality. So I got the grit and mental fortitude from lacrosse.”

SIXTH-ROUND PICK OLLIE GORDON II

Gordon is a bigger back, the kind of back that's been missing from the Dolphins lineup in recent years.

This is a guy who relishes contact, whether it be when he's carrying the ball or picking up blitzers in pass protection.

“I would say I’m a bruiser," he said. "I’m going to run through you. I’m going to make you want to not tackle me late in games and beginning of games ... I’m going to keep it so for real with you right now; when I’m in that pass pro mode, I’m trying to take you out. That’s going to be your last play blitzing; if I’ve got to cut you, if I’ve got to run through your face, that’s going to be your last play blitzing, and I’m going to make you think about it. So that first time, if I don’t get you, I promise later in the game, I’m going to get you. I promise you that one.”

SEVENTH-ROUND PICK QUINN EWERS

Ewers had a prior connection with head coach Mike McDaniel from meeting him at the Texas Pro Day in 2024 when he was throwing passes to draft prospects Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Ja'Tavion Sanders.

"I’m super glad I was able to do that because I got to meet Mike and talk to him about that stuff," Ewers said. "I really enjoyed talking to him after that. He’s just a high energy guy. He’s always bouncing around. It’s awesome to be around people like that because you end up acting the same way and always having energy. We run a lot of stuff that Miami does. We get stuff that Miami does and we installed it at Texas when I was playing at Texas. I’m excited to go into this facility, this franchise and learn kind of how they do it because I know we see it on film and we’re like, OK, it looks like this is the first read, but I want to go see to the furthest extent how they teach that sort of stuff if that makes sense.”

What also could help is Ewers played for head coach Steve Sarkisian, who run an offensive system similar to that of the Dolphins.

“It’s definitely going to help for sure, 100 percent," Ewers said. "Running some of the same concepts. I know Sark went down there to talk to Mike (McDaniel) in the offseason. I think when they were in OTAs or something like that. We got to hear some stories. I’m just beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity the Dolphins have given me. I’m excited to meet all the new teammates I’m going to have. It’s going to be fun. I think it all happens for a reason. I’m excited to be a Dolphin.”

SEVENTH-ROUND PICK ZEEK BIGGERS

The big man from Georgia Tech was chilling at home in Salisbury, North Carolina, when he got the call from the Dolphins.

And it sounds like he might have a new best friend with Kenneth Grant ... because he also likes fishing.

"I’m country, I’m from North Carolina," Biggers said. "I like to go fishing, so that’s a good thing about being in Miami. I’m going to be able to go fishing, that’s kind of the way I want, and I have a whole bunch of dogs. I used to just go take them on walks, let them run around the park and stuff like that, so those are kind of my two main things. Then obviously, you’ve got to play the game. I’ve got a PS5, I’ll be on the game a lot.”