These Miami Dolphins Rookies Have Been A Disaster Early On

Grant has a massive frame, being 6’4 and 335 pounds, and he takes up a lot of space. That being said, he can’t just use his strength and power to go through the offensive line. Having a strong technique with good leverage and being able to use your hands to get by people is key to being a good defensive tackle. Rookies are going to have their learning lessons, but the learning process needs to be sped up with Grant. Amongst all defensive tackles, Pro Football Focus currently has him rated as the worst defensive tackle in the league.

Grant has been part of a defensive front that is getting no pressure on the quarterback and is the worst team in the league at stopping the run. A crucial clip that summarizes his struggles is being pushed back to almost the first down marker after being double-teamed.

In Grant’s defense, the entire defensive line has been a no-show. It’s not as if he’s solely sabotaging the defensive line on his own, but there’s no denying that this has been a tough start to Grant’s career, and a turnaround is needed sooner rather than later.

Savaiinaea Is Looking Lost In Pass Protection

Jonah Savaiinaea entered the NFL draft with versatility. During his time at Arizona, he lined up at right guard, right tackle, and left tackle. The position he’s in now though, is currently left guard, where he’s been nothing short of a disaster.

Similar to Grant, Savaiinaea ranks dead last in his position. The worst part of it all is that Miami does not have a backup to replace him as a majority of their lineman are either hurt or are not ready to play yet.

Savaiinaea has been given up brutal sacks, and there are multiple plays where little to no resistance is being put on the defensive lineman in their pursuit of Tagovailoa. In a rep against Derrick Brown, he gave up a sack in which all Brown did was make a run right at Tagovailoa with little to no move being made.

Even though this is a new world for Savaiinaea playing a position he’s never taken a snap at, he took accountability for his play and made it known these issues can be fixed.

“There’s no excuses of what’s been happening on the field… and like I said, it’s fixable. That’s why we have these days to work on it.”

It’s great to hear Savaiinaea recognize his struggles, but the Dolphins need actions to speak louder than words at this point.

End Of My Miami Dolphins Rant

Miami fans have seen their rookies grow over the years, with prime examples being Christian Wilkins and now see it with Patrick Paul. The difference is, Grant and Savaiinaea are being asked to be contributors on a team that envisioned itself as being in the playoff mix. It’s clear as day that both players are nowhere near ready, but being benched isn’t an option.

The Dolphins’ incompetence to sign viable backup options shows how bad their roster-building is. On top of that, seeing players such as Lions rookie guard Tate Ratledge and Colts tight end Tyler Warren shine for their teams in positions Miami needed to fill hurts even more.

Fans need to ease up on the bust label for these two, as it’s too soon to determine if they won’t pan out. With that being said, it’s understandable to be disappointed that the Dolphins’ first two draft selections in 2025 have been hurting the team more than helping.