Setting Expectations for Grant’s Rookie Workload

With limited cap salary space and little draft capital, the Miami Dolphins had few avenues to upgrade the roster this offseason. 

Their first-round pick became arguably the most impactful way to do so, and they used it to address a big need with an even bigger presence — selecting 6-foot-4, 331-pound defensive tackle Kenneth Grant 13th overall.

Miami entered the offseason with holes at cornerback and along the offensive line, but the need for a defensive tackle became urgent after Calais Campbell re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Even in his 17th season, Campbell was productive for the Dolphins with 52 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, and five sacks while playing nearly 60 percent of defensive snaps at 38 years old. 

Not only did Miami hit the lottery when Campbell signed last June, but the former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year said he left money on the table elsewhere to sign in South Florida. After back-to-back seasons of relying on Wilkins to play 80 percent of snaps, and then a strong year from Campbell, Miami will turn to a rookie in a key spot next to Zach Sieler.

The Dolphins believe Grant could make an immediate impact, but how much can they rely on a first-year defensive tackle adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NFL?

Byron Murphy II, taken 16th overall by the Seattle Seahawks, was the only defensive tackle selected in the first round of the 2024 draft and played 457 snaps in his rookie season. When including players like Ruke Orhorhoro, Johnny Newton, T’Vondre Sweat, and Braden Fiske — second-round defensive tackles picked before No. 40 — the group averaged 496 defensive snaps as rookies.

That 496-snap average remains steady when including top defensive tackles taken in 2023 like Jalen Carter, Calijah Kancey, Mazi Smith, and Bryan Bresee. Playing around 496 snaps, or roughly 44 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps, would be considered a steady first year for Grant, though the Michigan standout might need to see even more of the field in Year 1.

Sieler played 70 percent of snaps last season, leading Dolphins’ defensive tackles with 748 total, a number that would likely be even higher if not for a mid-season eye injury at practice. Campbell was second, playing 615 snaps, followed by Da’Shawn Hand at 563 (53 percent).

Hand signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, and while Benito Jones re-signed after playing 45 percent of snaps last year, Grant is the only defensive tackle Miami has invested significant capital in this offseason. How much of the workload he takes on will ultimately depend on how quickly he adjusts to the NFL, but he’s being counted on to help fill the void up front.

The Impact of a Strong Partner on the Defensive Line

Not only is Grant projected to line up next to an edge-rushing unit that could be Miami’s best position group in 2025, but he also has the luxury of working alongside Sieler in the trenches.

Sieler is the only defensive tackle to reach 10 sacks in each of the last two seasons and has appeared in 82 of 84 possible regular-season games in the last five seasons. That kind of stability up front should help ease Grant’s transition and make it easier for Miami to ramp up his workload during his rookie season.

Three of five rookie tackles taken in the top 40 of last year’s draft played at least 515 snaps. Two of them, Newton and Sweat, stepped into the lineup next to two of the league’s top DTs. 

Newton started 11 games, finishing the season with 44 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and two sacks playing next to Daron Payne, a 2022 Pro Bowl tackle who hasn’t missed a game since 2019.  Sweat played 66 percent of defensive snaps, logging 51 tackles and three quarterback hits for the Tennessee Titans while playing next to Jeffrey Simmons, a two-time All-Pro. 

Fiske, the other tackle to play more than 515 snaps, feasted with 10 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks for the Los Angeles Rams. That defense featured four players up front with at least 10 TFLs, including defensive rookie of the year Jared Verse.

Wilkins, taken with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, played 65 percent of snaps for Miami as a rookie.

Unlike that 2019 team, the Dolphins don’t have time to slowly integrate Grant. However, with the pieces around him, they’ve created a situation where he can hit the ground running and deliver from Day 1.