Many consider the drafting of Kenneth Grant to be a home run selection at No. 13, but if there is something to learn from history, we may have seen it repeat.
First, Grant is an exceptional football player. At over 300 pounds, he moves offensive linemen around and will help the Dolphins' run defense. Paired with Zach Sieler, Grant will improve a defensive front that needs help.
Now, we have to rewind the calendar. In 2023, the Dolphins had a decision with Christian Wilkins: let him play on his fifth-year option or sign him to a contract extension. Wilkins played on the option and, in 2024, left to join the Las Vegas Raiders on a huge contract.
Few believe letting Wilkins leave was smart. Chris Grier made a mistake that he couldn't really get out of. Wilkins' new contract with Las Vegas was something the Dolphins couldn't afford, but had he approached Wilkins a year earlier, Wilkins could have been extended for about $40 million less.
Chris Grier's previous mistake with Christian Wilkins may be the biggest downfall of Kenneth Grant
The problem in 2023 was simple for Grier. Wilkins was a tackling machine and great at stopping the run, but Grier wanted more sacks and pressure. Wilkins responded by turning in his biggest sack total of his career. He had nine sacks in 2023, which was head and shoulders above his previous totals.
And herein lies the problem from Grier: he drafted the one defensive tackle who is not very good at getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. ESPN's Field Yates wasn't a fan of the pick for that reason.
"I am a fan of Grant -- whose 331-pound frame will immediately boost their run defense -- but felt there were other available defensive tackles who offered more pass-rush upside," Yates wrote. "My board had Walter Nolen (No. 16 to Arizona) and Derrick Harmon (No. 21 to Pittsburgh) ahead of Grant due to their superior pass-rush ability."
Grant, again, is very good at stopping the run, but as Yates points out, there were better options who were much better at getting into the pocket and disrupting the offense.
Did Grier make the same mistake? It's hard to say that's the case when Wilkins was far from a mistake and Grant is almost an identical player in style, but if Grier wanted sacks and pressures, he may have picked the wrong guy.