How Grant Is Adjusting to Life in the NFL

After three dominant seasons wreaking havoc in the Big Ten at Michigan, Miami Dolphins rookie first-round pick Kenneth Grant is now adjusting to life in the NFL.

The Dolphins drafted Grant No. 13 overall to reinforce the defensive line, one of the franchise’s greatest roster needs this offseason. The hope is that he can quickly settle in and have a positive impact as a rookie.

“I’ll say in the NFL practice is much faster, much more intense,” Grant said in the early days of his professional training camp. “Sometimes it’s a little shorter, but the speed of practice, the speed of [individual drills] is definitely ramped up for sure.”

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler will anchor the unit after playing 70 percent of snaps last season, and Benito Jones returns after starting 15 games. However, Miami needs to replace more than 1,100 snaps with Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand no longer on the roster. 

As a top draft pick, Grant is expected to be a key piece in filling that gap, though he’s learning that he still needs to earn those snaps.

“I want to strive for perfection, but [defensive line coach Austin] Clark says it’s never as good as it seems, but it’s never as bad as it seems,” Grant said. “Being able to find that balance and find the small things and even the big things to work on. 

“He says, ‘You haven’t arrived. Even though you’re a first-rounder, you haven’t arrived. You’re just like everybody else.’”

Grant appeared in 41 games over three seasons at Michigan, finishing his junior season with seven tackles for a loss, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. He enters the NFL as a steady run defender with high potential as a disruptive pass rusher.

“One of the reasons we were so high on him is because this is professional football,” coach Mike McDaniel said. “We needed his skill set to contribute and we couldn’t hold our breath if we were going to get a guy that can be a force on our defense, so I think he’s working relentlessly and I like where he’s at right now and I want to see his game continue.”

Learning from Sieler

Grant enters his rookie season with the opportunity to learn from and play with one of the league’s most consistent defensive tackles in recent years. 

Sieler has missed just two games over the last five seasons; the only absence was due to an eye injury last season. He’s the only defensive tackle with at least 10 sacks in back-to-back seasons and has at least 11 quarterback hits in four of five seasons. 

“He’s challenging me in everything – on the field, off the field,” Grant said of Sieler. “I mean, just being in a room with a guy like that, he’s taken a different path than me, but he’s also excelling and one of the top dawgs in this league. He’s doing everything the right way, so I’m just trying to follow his path.”

As a former seventh-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens, Sieler had to work for his playing time. He only appeared in two games as a rookie and was waived late in his second season before landing with the Dolphins and developing into a key pillar on defense. 

“What was said to me in Baltimore was, ‘Be a sponge.’ Terrell Suggs said it, Brandon Williams said it, and I make sure to relay that every year to the rookies,” Sieler said when asked about working with Grant. “I think that the most crucial thing is college; you could be the greatest player in college, but the NFL is a whole different ball game. We’re looking for the smallest of small plays, inches, errors, whatever you can take to win the game. 

“To be out there and to lead and to teach these guys how the NFL changes from college is exciting.”

Competition with Savaiinaea 

One of Miami’s top priorities this offseason was to add youth and physicality to both the offensive and defensive lines. Along with drafting Grant in the first round, the Dolphins traded up in the second round to select Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. 

With both players stepping into starting roles as rookies, they’re pushing each other to do whatever it takes to hit the ground running in Year 1. 

“It’s awesome, just knowing that ‘KG,’ same draft class as me, and just being out there on the field with him,” Savaiinaea said of his battles with Grant. “I don’t take that lightly, going up against a person like him, because he’s trying to get better, so he’s expecting 100 percent, 110 percent from me. 

“Every time I get to go against him, I’m making sure I’m bringing my all, just so we can both get better and get ready for the season and training camp.”

The Dolphins made the playoffs in two of the last three seasons but have failed to win a playoff game in 25 years. Grant and Savaiinaea hope to not only contribute early but also help set a new standard that starts in the trenches.

“It’s very cool because we know the standard of obviously offensive line coach [Butch Barry] holds him to, but he knows the standard of that [coach] Clark holds of me,” Grant said. “Every rep, every mental rep, every physical rep is going to be a battle. So we both know that, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to help each other even though we’re on different sides of the ball.”

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