Kenneth Grant spent part of his second offseason with the Miami Dolphins watching over tape from his time at Michigan. His position coach believed it would help. On Tuesday, the Dolphins released their first depth chart of the season, and Grant just got a wake-up call.
The Dolphins' depth chart listed Grant "OR" Jordan Phillips as the number one DT next to Zach Sieler. Should he be concerned? Should fans be worried? Jeff Hafley previously said that the second-year DT could have a breakout season.
On one hand, it's an initial depth chart that also shows Tyrel Dodson "OR" Jacob Rodriguez as the top LB next to Jordyn Brooks. That's a different situation given the rookie's early impact, but Grant is a second-year DT who struggled at times in 2025.
Kenneth Grant isn't giving the Miami Dolphins good early vibes after depth chart release
The depth chart release should be a bit worrisome for Grant. Phillips has had a good training camp so far, and the fact that his name is even in the conversation for the number one spot is a testament to that growth. Grant has been looking good in camp as well.
The knock on Grant entering the 2025 NFL Draft was that some scouts believed his production was the result of playing next to Mason Graham. Graham was the top DT taken in the 2025 draft. Miami needed DT help, and some looked at Grant as a reach just to fill that need.
His 2025 season wasn't impressive, but there were signs that he had the talent to play at this level.
Phillips picked up steam as the season went on. He and fellow rookie DT Zeke Biggers were both giving the Dolphins a reason to be thrilled with the draft class.
Phillips was taken in round five, one of the three DTs Chris Grier drafted. In camp, he has given Jeff Hafley plenty of reason to put his faith in him being a big part of the team's rotation.
While Grant can't be thrilled with the "OR" addition of Phillips at the top, it's good for Phillips. Of course, none of this means a lot other than the obvious ascension of Phillips, but for fans looking for another reason to question Grier's final draft, this adds to it.
The Dolphins will play the Commanders this week in Washington. It will be their first preseason game of the season, and both Grant and Phillips will see plenty of playing time. In fact, they both should start the game if Sieler is kept out, which is a possibility.
Hafley has said that every player should expect to play, but he will decide based on the number of reps each player takes against the Commanders in this week's joint practice.
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