This offseason, the Miami Dolphins underwent a roster makeover. They added 13 players in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while the team has high expectations for this year's rookie class, a successful rookie class may not be enough for this team to exceed expectations in the regular season.The Dolphins performing better than expected will likely also depend on last year's rookie class performing better in their sophomore season. Unfortunately, it appears that one of the key players the Dolphins were hoping would make an impact will be unable to do so for Miami early in the regular season.
When asked by The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson about the possibility of putting last year's first-round pick Kenneth Grant on injured reserve, Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said, "Yeah, I mean those are discussions that we're having, and I think that will clear up within the next few days here as we get closer, getting down to 53 and then talking about who we feel good about truthfully getting ready for the first game. So those are questions as we make these decisions today, tomorrow, and then talk to Kyle and have a good plan. But Barry, there's certainly, that is one that we've had the conversation about."The fact Grant is even being considered as a possibility to land on injured reserve makes his availability for the regular season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders seem doubtful. Additionally, it did not seem as if Grant had made an impact on the team prior to his injury. When a reader brought upKenneth Grant being among the biggest disappointments in training camp, Dolphins on SI's Alain Poupart wrote: "I think I have to agree with you there with Grant, and it's not helping now that he's dealing with an injury that's got the start of the regular season in jeopardy for him."
Prior to his disappointing training camp, there were reasons to believe that Grant could make a leap in his sophomore season. Grant mentioned how different his second offseason was from his first offseason, as he said, "I know what to expect now. I'm not a rookie anymore, so I kind of know what the deal is and how things are going to be operated."Grant added that he prepared better for camp, saying, "This offseason, I just really focused on being more of a football player. Last year, I was training for the combine. It's different when you're in 'football shape' rather than 'combine shape.' I'm focusing on my techniques and getting stronger in the weight room."However, it appears those changes were not enough to impress the Dolphins, and with his availability in doubt, Grant may not be making that sophomore leap some expected.Among those expecting better things out of Grant in his second season was Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness, who named Grant as the team's breakout candidate, as he wrote: "Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant endured a rough start to his NFL career, earning a 30.4 PFF grade over the first five weeks of the season. He steadily improved as the year went on, though, and his 62.0 PFF grade from Week 6 through the end of the season ranked third among the 14 rookie interior defensive linemen who played at least 200 snaps during that span. His 16 defensive stops over that stretch also ranked second in the group. With a full NFL offseason under his belt, expect Grant to continue that upward trajectory in 2026."Hopefully, Grant can still find a way to be a contributor for the Dolphins in 2026. The 22-year-old is a skilled athlete and is only one year removed from being a first-round pick.
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