Dolphins Coaches Reveal Secret Behind Kenneth Grant’s Improvement

The Miami Dolphins needed rookie first-round pick Kenneth Grant to come into the league and make an immediate impact at the defensive tackle position. 

That largely didn’t happen early in the season. Miami’s run defense remains one of the league’s worst, and Grant’s performance was a factor in that. That said, the rookie started to turn a corner against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. 

Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver wasn’t surprised — he’s seen Grant building toward this for a bit. 

“To me, it started two weeks ago, and it started in practice, where he just seemed more relaxed out there,” Weaver told reporters Thursday. “He kinda just let the pressure fall off and just went out there and played football. When you start to gain confidence, particularly as a young player, and you pair that with technique and fundamentals that have been continually growing throughout, you start to see games like that.”

The numbers back up Weaver’s claim that Grant’s turnaround started two weeks ago. He recorded his first sack against the Chargers in Week 6 to go along with two pressures. 

Against the Browns, he recorded a season high five tackles and added his first tackle for loss against the run. His other four tackles were near the line of scrimmage, too. 

What’s Changed For Grant? 

Outside of some special cases, most rookies, especially in the trenches, need some time to develop before becoming impact players. 

But Dolphins defensive line coach Austin Clark, like Weaver, thinks a lot of Grant’s improvement has just come from playing a bit more freely. 

“Definitely encouraged with KG,” Clark said. “I think comfortability in the scheme and the way we're playing them, as well as some of the technique and fundamentals, and kind of working into like pro playing shape.”

“You know, I think those are all things that have helped him out. You know, we asked him to do a lot. We've asked him to line up a couple of different places. And I think we're seeing some growth, which is encouraging.”

Clark clarified that his comments about Grant getting into shape were nothing unusual for any rookie. Playing a lot of snaps against NFL competition is just different than playing a lot of snaps in the Big Ten, so that probably shouldn’t be blown too far out of proportion. 

It just takes a different type of stamina. 

While Clark’s claim that Grant has been asked to play a lot of positions is technically true, the rookie has played the overwhelming majority of his snaps at three-tech. 

To Grant and Clark’s credit, the Michigan product has also received minimal snaps at nose tackle and defensive end, which would include at least a little more learning on his plate. Either way, Grant seems to be settling in. 

What’s the Next Step for Grant? 

Grant is looking better for sure, especially against the run, but he needs to justify being the 13th-overall pick at some point in the next few years. 

“He does have a long way to go,” Clark said. “He knows that. And he's a guy you can really challenge. And that's something we're doing with him. And he's getting better every day.” 

There are a few areas the Dolphins should challenge Grant in. The first is pass-rush work. Nobody expects him to be a high-volume sack player, but eight pressures and 1.5 sacks in seven weeks won’t cut it forever. 

The other is getting him to tap into his athletic ability against the run. There were flashes of this against the Browns, but Grant’s quickness was a hallmark of his college tape, and there hasn’t been a ton of that in the NFL. 

Developing that will take time, and the last two weeks are just that — two games. However, it’s clear Miami still feels like it made the right pick with Grant. 

“There’s going to be a lot of good games ahead for Kenneth Grant just because of who he is and how he works,” Weaver said.