It is no secret that the Miami Dolphins are not expected to be contenders during the 2026 season. After a roster makeover this offseason, the team parted ways with most of their high-priced veterans.
As a result of those moves, Miami's roster got considerably younger. If the Dolphins will exceed expectations, it will very likely be due to the young core. And while Miami did add 13 players during the 2026 NFL Draft, Miami ideally would like the 2025 draft class to perform up to expectations after a disappointing season.
Unfortunately, one of those players who had an up-and-down rookie season is now set to miss time as he suffered an injury during training camp.
Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley announced that 2025 first-round pick Kenneth Grant was set to miss time with an injury, as he said of Grant, "Will not see him today and will not see him the remainder of this week."
The nature of Grant's injury remains to be seen as the Dolphins did not disclose that information.
As a rookie, Grant appeared in all 17 regular season games while making five starts. He registered two sacks, 33 combined tackles and two tackles for loss.
Grant received a 48.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He graded as a below-average pass rusher and run defender in his first season.
Despite this, PFF named him as Miami's breakout candidate entering the 2026 season. PFF's Gordon McGuinnness 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."
Grant has not spoken to the media after the news of his injury broke. However, he did previously comment on how he's planning on building on his rookie season. Grant said , "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."
He added, "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."
It appears Grant has the right mindset entering his sophomore season. Hopefully his injury does not derail his potential breakout campaign, and he can live up to his draft stock.
Prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote of Grant : "Grant is a broad-bodied nose tackle whose tape can run hot and cold depending on the game and the types of blocks he's facing. He struggles to anchor when hit with down blocks due to his narrow base and tall pads, but he uses his power and length to beat single blocks and split double teams when he finds the crease. He had some sack production in college, and we could see him improve in that area once he learns to create more rush space with his hands. Grant's game will finally come together in full when he's able to take his impressive physical attributes and impose his will on opponents."
During his rookie season, we saw the struggles that Zierlein mentioned. The hope is that his strengths are more evident in his second season.
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