Saturday, April 26, 2025
QB Quinn Ewers
(Was that in the background, was that your house? I see all the stuffed animals, was that your house? Are you a hunter? I’ve got to ask about that because you had the media workroom up in the air with that.) – “How cool was that first off. It’s an insane room. That’s what my house is going to look like in the future, but no, it wasn’t my house. It was a friend of ours who allowed us to do the draft party here at his lake house out here kind of an hour west of the Fort Worth area, but yeah, one day. One day.”
(I wanted to ask you about your quick release. How did you develop that?) – “It’s a lot of work. I felt that I was always a natural thrower with the football and it always came natural to me. It took a lot of work for sure. I give a lot of credit to – he was my quarterback coach by the name of Jeff Christensen. The quick release really starts from my feet. I want to get my front foot down as fast as possible which allows me to have that quick release at those critical moments.”
(We have a guy here who is connected with the Dolphins known for his quick release named Dan Marino. I’m wondering have you studied any film of him?) – “I’ve definitely watched him play, and yeah, my dad would always tell me growing up that I need to have a quick release like Dan Marino. So I grew up hearing my dad talk about him all the time. Definitely watched him play and his release is very quick as well.”
(We just talked to General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel about you. Chris said that your relationship goes even back to last year’s pro day when they saw you. I was curious what was your first impression of Mike McDaniel and the offense that he’s installed here in Miami?) – “Yeah, like you said, I met him when I threw to Xavier (Worthy) and ‘AD’ (Adonai Mitchell, and ‘JT (Ja’Tavion Sanders), and ‘J. Whitt’ (Jordan Whittington) and those guys in 2023 for their pro day. I’m super glad I was able to do that because I got to meet Mike and talk to him about that stuff. I really enjoyed talking to him after that. He’s just a high energy guy. He’s always bouncing around. It’s awesome to be around people like that because you end up acting the same way and always having energy. We run a lot of stuff that Miami does. We get stuff that Miami does and we installed it at Texas when I was playing at Texas. I’m excited to go into this facility, this franchise and learn kind of how they do it because I know we see it on film and we’re like, OK, it looks like this is the first read, but I want to go see to the furthest extent how they teach that sort of stuff if that makes sense.”
(So my question for you is kind of following up on the idea about you guys running similar concepts to the Dolphins down here and you mentioned watching them on tape. I’m curious, when you watched them on tape, what is it about QB Tua Tagovailoa’s game that kind of stood out to you from a quarterback’s perspective, maybe something that you saw on tape that you are excited to kind of pick his brain about within the Dolphins offense now?) – “I think that he knows the offense so well and his ability to anticipate throws is fun to watch. He’s throwing to guys before they even enter the window. They are three yards behind a linebacker, but he knows exactly where these guys are going to come and where these guys are going to go. It’s going to be cool to talk to him about that. He knows ‘Sark’ (Steve Sarkisian) and I know ‘Sark,’ so it’s going to be cool to get to meet him and talk about both of our times with him and obviously what I just said.”
(You were asked about your quick release. I know you kind of drop those arm angles and throw the ball from all over the place. I always ask quarterbacks that can do that, did you play baseball as a kid? I feel like you probably did.) – “Oh yeah. Yes sir. I sure did. I played shortstop growing up.”
(I wanted to ask you about what you’ve learned through your college career dealing with adversity. Ohio State, QB Arch Manning… all of this stuff. What has it taught you and how has it made you a better quarterback and a better person?) – “A hundred percent. The adversity that I’ve gone through I don’t think many people would be able to come out the way I did. I just think that goes to show how mentally tough and mentally strong that I am and how I’ve kind of grown to be able to handle adversity. I enjoy going through adversity because I know I have a plan of attack. I feel like anything that has happened to me the past years of my college career is only going to help me in the long run. Like I said, I’m just happy I went through it all.”
(In the pre-draft process I met OL Hayden Conner your teammate and he told me the same thing that you mentioned about how you guys have took some plays from the Dolphins. How much do you think that familiarity will help you now at this next level?) – “It’s definitely going to help for sure, 100 percent. Running some of the same concepts. I know ‘Sark’ (Steve Sarkisian) went down there to talk to Mike (McDaniel) in the offseason. I think when they were in OTAs or something like that. We got to hear some stories. I’m just beyond excited and grateful for the opportunity the Dolphins have given me. I’m excited to meet all the new teammates I’m going to have. It’s going to be fun. I think it all happens for a reason. I’m excited to be a Dolphin.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(Was there an intentionality to the trenches and getting bigger with this draft?) – “Again, we’re always looking when we go through self-assessment and going through the season. Mike (McDaniel) and I talking, looking at the team with the coaches and when you get to it at the end of the day, we wanted to get better at offensive line. We knew we had some older players with ‘T. Stead’ (Terron Armstead) and Kendall Lamm, Isaiah Wynn moving on. So we talked about adding youth and it just so happens that these guys are bigger players that are physical, tough kids that love football. And we haven’t shied away from looking for those types of players, but they fit the bill at the offensive line spot, so we’re excited to add those guys to the group.”
(With no trade partner found during the draft, is it now just a better idea to wait till after June 1 to trade CB Jalen Ramsey?) – “No, I think whenever those opportunities arise. We’ve had conversations through the weekend with some teams about it as well, so depending on what happens and if and when it’ll happen; whatever it is, we’ll make the deal at the appropriate time.”
Mike McDaniel:
(I know you guys don’t draft by need; you draft best player available usually. Not drafting a cornerback until the fifth round – can you talk about that? Were there opportunities in the third or earlier?) – “We were very prepared for the multiple scenarios that could come up. I think when we talk about players that we’re adding to our football team, there’s a lot of needs. You’re trying to make sure that you improve with every player, that the opportunity that you have matches what that player can provide. And realistically, there were scenarios where we could see – how it played out wasn’t foreign to us. It’s important that you have people valued appropriately and you don’t overvalue you players because that’s where you can run into some trouble. So I was very happy with the needs that were able to be met because to me, for instance, you feel good about the offensive line, you know you want to improve; but it wasn’t just the idea of improving. We feel like we targeted players at all the positions that we needed that could help us and as our picks came up and as we were able to have opportunity to go different places, we attacked those processes. So very aware of the possibility of the guy that we like being in the fourth round or the fifth, and you’re just trying to focus on the entire team and make sure that you get better with each and every selection.”
Chris Grier:
(What drew y’all to QB Quinn Ewers there in the seventh round?) – “Quinn (Ewers) obviously had a very good college career. Mike (McDaniel) and I, we met him the year before at the Texas workout and we spent some time. We talked to Coach Sarkisian about him and ‘Sark’ really likes and was high (on him) and was talking about him playing through the injuries this year which affected his play a little bit. But talked about his toughness, his mental toughness, the pushing through with the injury, the expectations, all the pressure with (Arch) Manning there coming in and so he loved his competitiveness and how he plays and how his teammates respond to him. So he was someone that we always had an eye on looking at and the opportunity at that point in the draft just made sense for us to pull the pick.”
Mike McDaniel:
(Does it help at all they ran a similar offense – some of the plays, concepts – I’ve heard from Texas players?) – “That is beneficial because you can evaluate a lot of nuances that you typically have to forecast. I think one of the things that gives him an advantage as a rookie just getting started is that overlap. I think the way that he orchestrates the offense from the motion timing and really anticipating things, there’s a fit there, so we’re excited to get him in the program and start working.”
Chris Grier:
(Was Shedeur Sanders considered at any point?) – “Yes, we had lots of discussions about him today.”
(Can you detail what this process now is like? Undrafted free agents – going after them now as the draft wraps up?) – “Yeah, as soon as our last pick went, we’re waiting for the end of the draft, but you start getting ready to communicate with players and agents to try and see if we can find a spot for him here and make a mutual agreement. So for us it’s always something you communicate with the agents throughout the spring, too, as well about interest in players and so for us, we’re actively going. My phone’s been going off here as we’ve been sitting here a bunch, so yeah, we’re excited about some of the players we’re trying to get and hopefully we can close some of those deals.”
Chris Grier:
(The willingness to give up a pick in this year’s draft for next year’s draft seems to me to be an indication that you’re trying to thread the needle of being as competitive as possible this year while also taking a wider scope view and somewhat of a soft reset – I know you might push back on the soft reset – what do you think when you hear that? That you’re sort of threading the needle of making the team as good this year as possible and also still weighing the future?) – “I think when you have opportunities to get a pick in the third round, that’s a very valuable pick, and so for us the opportunity to do that and move down and still have – we had a number of picks still in the third day as you knew – so for us it’s always looking short and long term. You never want to be in a spot where we have to do everything right now and get everything done because that’s when you make mistakes. And so for us it’s just taking into every possible scenario like we always do – short, long term, working through it and for us that value of that third-round pick next year is a huge pick. So for us it just made sense to do the deal.”
(How likely do you believe you will be to bring in a veteran cornerback on the free agent market?) – “We’ve had a number of conversations with players – veteran free agents that are good football players. We’ve had a number of conversations. Those will continue and we’ll see if we can get something done.”
Mike McDaniel:
(As far as left guard, right guard – G James Daniels, OL Jonah Savaiinaea – you could have two youngsters on the left side with Savaiinaea and T Patrick Paul and a really strong right side, but does it benefit you more to have Daniels on the left side with Patrick Paul?) – “I think there’s a lot that goes into that and I think the starting point is the body mechanics and the comfort level of the individual players because really a confident, convicted player; the residuals can be as powerful as what you’re alluding to in terms of experience. I think communication within that room is key. We pay attention to that. If there is a reason of communication that dictates maybe a trial with different people playing next to each other, flipping sides and stuff, we’d always do that. I don’t foresee the current players, a communication issue dictating where they play. I think it’s more of where their comfort level is simply because the individuals we do have are great communicators where they are young they happen to be pretty good at being able to talk to each other next to each other and you all have to have ownership of your job across the board regardless of if you’re a rookie or a veteran. I feel comfortable as it stands, but I think we try to fashion ourselves as problem solvers, so if that became a problem, I’m sure we’d try to fix it.”
(We’ve peppered General Manager Chris Grier with a bunch of CB Jalen Ramsey questions, but can I ask you at the end there, what was your relationship like with him before this mutual decision to part ways?) – “I think speaking on the relationship with Jalen (Ramsey) on this forum kind of undercuts what I think is important today which is we’ve added a class and are continuing to add new players to the 2025 Dolphins, and I think beyond that it wouldn’t do justice to these draft picks and what we’re trying to do today.”
Chris Grier:
(From looking at the list of guys you drafted, a lot of guys that didn’t transfer which is pretty rare these days, some captains on that list. I saw a good story about OL Jonah Savaiinaea and how he didn’t want to leave Arizona because he wanted to build that program up and then DT Jordan Phillips was talking about as a big-time leader at Maryland. That’s not an accident that you guys get players that kind of fit those same criteria, right? Like that happens for a reason?) – “Yeah, when you’re investigating the background you, it’s the quality of the people and the guys that love football and the teammates and the drive. Like Jordan Phillips, any time we asked anyone about him, you’re like, ‘What’s he doing?’ They’re like, ‘Oh, he’s probably in the weight room working out.’ They’re like, ‘The guy’s working always’ and literally the first thing he said to me on the phone – I said, ‘You’re a Dolphin.’ He goes, ‘That’s great, Coach, can I get the playbook right away?’ (laughter) Like just take it down and enjoy the day. So those guys like Jonah (Savaiinaea), they were awesome just talking about those stories about when adversity hit them with the teams and what they did to stay there and try and help their teams to get better and win. So you’re always drawn to those types of stories with players. These kids are quality kids that we’re excited to add.”
(How hyped were y’all watching Maryland tape this year? Going back-to-back Terps in like, what, a 12-pick span like that?) – “So Mike (McDaniel) for all the entire fifth round, he kept talking– (laughter)”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yeah, I was Terp’d out. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
“Those guys and Coach (Mike) Locksley, I’ve known him a long time and he does a great job there finding players and the Maryland kids end up playing in this league and they’re good football players. He finds those guys that love ball, that are tough, competitive, and so glad to have those two. They’re really good quality people, good football players.”
Mike McDaniel:
(What did you see in the RB Ollie Gordon II tape especially the ‘23 tape where I think he ran for like, 1,700 yards?) – “I saw a lot of really good stuff. It’s not the first time that we’ve come across an evaluation even at that particular school where you have someone have a really big year followed by maybe a year that they didn’t anticipate or was underwhelming for them; and what’s interesting is really unpacking that, you watch (for) any differences in play. You try to really understand the totality of the environments, but the biggest thing is you try to meet the player, engage with him and see what the experience, how it’s affected him. You’re hoping that it burns a fire inside and I think it was pretty evident when we visited with him that he was eager to prove himself. So I think the ’23 tape was very impressive and based upon our interactions with him, we feel optimistic that is the version that we’re going to improve upon moving forward which will be up to him and what he does with this opportunity.”
Chris Grier:
(You referenced Isaiah Wynn casually earlier. Does that mean he’s likely not coming back or what does that mean?) – “No, it was just he was a free agent. I was just lumping him in with those guys who were free agents and then ‘T. Stead,’ too.”
(How do you guys balance production with fit for the team? I’m looking at DT Jordan Phillips. He never recorded a sack during his career and then CB Jason Marshall Jr. didn’t record a pick the last couple years. So how do you balance production with fit?) – “With Jordan (Phillips), one thing is he is a really good run stopper, run player. So what he was asked to do for them, he excelled in what he could do. We had some of our coaches worked at the East-West game and he was there and really showed some stuff in the pass rush stuff when different stance, different techniques he was being taught down there. So for us, we were excited watching that and I know Coach (Anthony) Weaver was the first one who came to us and (Defensive Line Coach) Austin (Clark) were like, ‘Hey, watch this from the East-West and what he was doing.’ He’s 20 years old, has an unbelievable love for football, so we do think there’s some things we can unlock with him. At the Senior Bowl, Mike Locksley was the one who told me; he said, ‘This kid will be an even better player in the pros.’ He said he’s so young still in what he can do, so we’re excited for him. In terms of no interceptions, he (Jason Marshall Jr.) is a guy that’s around the ball. He’s competitive. He had the injury this year which set him back. He had a couple games where he dropped a couple picks, too, but we had him here at our Miami local day workout, watched him move around. He has ball skills, he has hands. So for us, he’s a size corner with movement skills. It’s up to us and him with our coaching and him working to make those improvements, but we’re very optimistic with his skill set that he has that he will do that.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
DT Zeek Biggers
(Obviously you’re a very big man – and long arms, almost 35 inches. How do you use your size and your arm length to your advantage?) – “Definitely, I feel like getting extension on the block, keeping the guy off my chest is a way I use it a lot. That’s a big thing. And then, another big thing would be batting down passes, kind of laying out, reaching for rolled tackles and stuff, when I’m running to the ball it just gives me some perks to add on.”
(As far as guys who are bigger than you, how often do you go up against somebody who is bigger than you?) – “Honestly, not too many times – definitely in the ACC. A couple bigger guys in the SEC. Actually, I didn’t go against too many guys my size. Maybe when we played Georgia or something, that’s the only time.”
(I saw that last season at Georgia Tech you had several tackles for losses. Are you looking to prove to NFL teams that with those tackles for loss that you can convert that into the pass rush production?) – “Oh yeah, definitely. I feel like that’s something I’ve been improving on every day, this whole draft process – was pass rush, pass rush, having more twitch off the ball. Kind of just picking up instincts that I needed to kind of be twitchy off the ball and get into a pass rush move. So I definitely feel like I’ll be able to show a lot of NFL teams that I can help – I am a help in the pass rush game and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
(How did you celebrate being drafted? Are you at home? What are you doing?) – “Yeah, I’m at home. I’m in Salisbury, (North) Carolina right now. Actually, finna go down here with all my family. It was just me and my mom, siblings at home and then we’re going to have a big thing later on.”
(My family is from Winston-Salem, so that’s right down the street. What is your go-to barbecue spot when you’re back home?) – “Barbecue – there’s this place in Salisbury, it’s called – what is it called? Have you ever had – it just says ‘Pork BBQ.’ It’s in the country, but you go there, that’s some of the best barbecue you’re going to have. Hendrix Barbecue always been good, too.”
(I’m wondering, as you go through this season, how much is the NFL on your mind and how much are you thinking, “scouts and coaches would love to see me do this, or see me master this skill?”) – “I would say – obviously, it would cross my mind a lot. I try to kind of not pay attention to it too much as I was just trying to stay in the game and make plays and celebrate with my teammates and just be there for my teammates. So I wasn’t trying to think about it too much, but it definitely crossed my mind every day, every second really.”
(You were asked about your day to day, was it stressful? This is one of the most lowkey environments that we’ve seen, it looks like you were pretty chill today. How were you? Nervous?) – “No, I was nervous, for sure. I’m just trying to hear my name called. I was with my family a little bit yesterday and then I have a party later on, but it was definitely just calm, we were just waiting patiently. We had faith in God and knew that something was going to happen; he brought me this far. Definitely just being patient as we can and we finally heard it, so I’m very appreciative.”
(Outside of football, what are some of the hobbies that you like to do to unwind and de-stress?) – “A big thing – I’m country, I’m from North Carolina. I like to go fishing, so that’s a good thing about being in Miami. I’m going to be able to go fishing, that’s kind of the way I want, and I have a whole bunch of dogs. I used to just go take them on walks, let them run around the park and stuff like that, so those are kind of my two main things. Then obviously, you’ve got to play the game. I’ve got a PS5, I’ll be on the game a lot.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
S Dante Trader Jr.
(In 2023 you played lacrosse and football. What was the decision that went into going into football full time?) – “It was more I had a shot to go to the league. I talked to my coaches, but ultimately it was just my body. Playing 18 straight months in two sports is hard on the body and the mind. To set myself up to be in the best position to get my name called like I did today, I had to take the summer off, the spring off to just be meshing with my team and just get my body right. So it was more of a body perspective.”
(I was reading one of the reports. It says that an NFL scout said that you have motivational quotes on Post-its on a mirror. Is that true? Is there a quote that you know by heart or that is sort of similar or something you try to live by or that’s important to you?) – “It’s more of like I have a message board of how I’m feeling or my goals and things like that. So it varies week to week. I put my goals up there so I can see them whether people believe I can do it or not. Just being drafted being one of them. And then I always have my mirror especially in-season, is ‘be a pest, be a pest.’ I write it on my hand, every time I can see it. Just that mentality, I like to carry it when I’m on the field. So when I always remind myself the mindset, mentality I need to have every day and I go. That’s just what I do. So the message board on my mirror and even in my journals I have multiple quotes that sometimes are very vulgar, sometimes are clean but anything to get me motivated.”
(There is a trend in the NFL where teams will use a third safety often, and it will be sort of a versatile chess piece. He might blitz from the edge, he might roll deep, he might cover a tight end. How much experience do you have for example covering tight ends and running backs? And also how much experience do you have in terms of moving around in different positions on the field?) – “I’ve played almost every position on the field that DBs can play. Even some outside corner when I’ve had to fix mistakes of corners and things like that. I’ve played in the box, I’ve played two-high or one-high. I’ve covered a lot of tight ends. I’ve covered some slots. I’m very versatile, jack-of-all-trades. Even I showed my versatility at the Senior Bowl covering slots and blanketing tight ends, which I covered at the Senior Bowl. But anywhere the coach needs me to play I’m able to play. I’ve had multiple years of playing in many systems against many types of personnel from full spread teams to ground and pound 13-personnel in Iowa and Nebraska. So I’ve done it all and seen it all.”
(Going back to your goals that you mentioned – you had goals for this weekend. What would you say your goals for 2025 as working in the NFL?) – “First I want to make the team. That’s just the bare minimum for me, is making the team. Then just establishing myself even as a young leader that’s going to be promising in the next couple of years on this team. Being a four core guy and eventually starting by the end of my year. Always shoot high because your goals have to align with what you do on and off the field, so if I’m doing everything I need to do to be able to get to those goals I’m going to land amongst the stars. You shoot for the moon and land amongst the stars type deal.”
(In terms of being a pest, are you a trash talker on the field?) – “Not really. I have a switch. I be going crazy out there if I’m boing honest. It’s just I just like to affect the games with my pads. I’m really not a trash talker. It comes out weird if I even say anything, so I let some of my teammates do that. But me, I’m one of those silent assassin guys that you’re going to have to be annoyed at and can’t get rid of.”
(How does your skillset in lacrosse transfer over to football? Are there any traits that carry over, any overlap there?) – “I would say physically I had to cover on an island. There is a lot more space for lacrosse. Just being able to move and then change of direction. So I have the short-area quickness that DBs need. And I would say a skill that I didn’t realize until the back end is the mental part of the game. So just going two sports allowed me to be resilient and nothing can really bother me and get to me. Also lacrosse is very mental, kind of like a baseball game. You get in slumps and you control the ball; your play gets exposed. In football you can be nervous and be not so good and there are 10 other people to cover up your mistakes. So just being able to have the confidence you need to especially be a DB. Like we get beat one time and we get called terrible. So you’ve got to be able to be next play mentality. So I got the grit and mental fortitude from lacrosse.”
(I want to know how you got started playing lacrosse? I’m sure you know RB Jim Brown who was a legendary lacrosse player, but how did you get started?) – “It was really when spring came around and my whole family played football, basketball and baseball and softball. I got tired of sitting at home for days. My sister –I was playing in the dirt – so my dad said, ‘look, I know you don’t like this sport, but you’re going to get the heck out the house.’ So I was like, ‘all right.’ Then he was like, ‘we got this sport called lacrosse, go to tryouts.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going, I want to do it.’ With me anything that’s hard I attack it, it pisses me off. Lacrosse was very hard to me, football was natural. So I spent a lot of time and hours into lacrosse and it paid off in the end. But that’s really how it started.”
(I’m wondering if you have special teams skills. I know a lot of top players don’t usually play a lot of special teams. It’ll be probably a key to you making the 53. Do you have special teams skills and how hard do you think it would be to attain them if you don’t?) – “I’ve been a special teamer all of my life. That’s how I got on the field as a freshman at Maryland. I was on the kick return, kickoff, punt, punt block, even on the hands team as a freshman. Then as I got starting, my coach allows you only to be on two. So I was on punt and punt block, and for us punt was nonnegotiable. I was like the wing adjuster, our is like ‘PP’ (personal protector) in an NFL-style punt. So it’ll be easy to be adjusted. You can win and lose games on special teams, so I’m all for special teams to get my way on the field. Any way I can affect the game.”
(I need you to tell the truth. Which sport is harder to play – lacrosse or football – and why?) – “That’s a tough one. You’re trying to put me on the spot. I would say – can I have an even answer? They’ve both got their levels of difficulty. Lacrosse takes a lot of hand-eye coordination, being able to catch the ball and then tough just to be able to take a metal pole across your arm or elbow. In football, there’s some huge human beings out there from 6’6 to 300 pounds, you’ve got to go play with and guys running 4.2s, got to be able to cover them. You’ve got to be crazy to play a little bit of both, but I’d probably say football takes the cake just because the physicality part.”
(And now if the pay was even, which one would you choose?) – “If it was even? I’d probably be the first one to play two… nah, I’m just messing. (laughter) But I’d probably play football.”
(And why is that?) – “It was just my first love. It was natural to me. My mom gave me an NFL pillow that I still have. When I was born, I always had a football around. Like I was the kid that goes to Friday night games and never watched a game because I’m playing – you know, tossing up, throwing with the other kids, playing football the whole time. I used to get in trouble in elementary and middle school because I always asked the gym teacher, ‘could we play football?’ instead of like, ‘sharks and minnows’ or stuff like that. But that was always me, so football was just always natural to me so I’d pick that.”
(I want to know your familiarity with your new defensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver. His scheme, different ways he uses his safeties and what are your impressions of him? I’m assuming you’ve interacted with him at this point?) – “Just because he brought me in here, went to bat for me and especially Coach Mike McDaniel and the special teams coordinator and everybody that the front office, that’s in the building brought me here. Just the ability to play mind games with the quarterback and show different looks and be aggressive in ways of blitzing, two-high shells, one-high shells, But just the versatility that he puts his safeties in fits my mold and my game, so I feel like I’ll be able to do well here.”
(And I’m wondering are you being at Maryland that he was with the Ravens before. Were you able to talk about catching you there or that you caught his eye or anything like that?) – “Not really. I didn’t hear any of those conversations. That would probably be more with coaches and things like that.”
(You mentioned that you’ve played everywhere on the field, more so like the star position. There are very few players in the NFL that can do everything all over the field in the secondary, so who would you compare yourself to in the NFL and what players do you usually watch or try to comp yourself to?) – “I’m very versatile. Like I said, the ‘pest mindset,’ I didn’t create that. I got that from watching Budda Baker growing up and on my way to college and now. He’s always been a pest, so like to say I decided to model my game after him. Nobody can recreate what Budda Baker does, but I just like his ability to affect the game in all facets from being in the post, Cover 2, covering, blitzing. Just being all over the field and you can’t get rid of him. So just watching him and modeling my game after him, that’s what I try to do.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
RB Ollie Gordon II
(I saw reports that you were here for a visit with the Dolphins in the pre-draft process. I was curious how that went and how that led you to getting drafted here?) – “I feel like it went great. I met with the staff – when I talked to the staff, I told them I was fine with playing special teams, doing all that, doing what’s best for the team – even if that’s not seeing the field at running back at first. I felt like that helped and the staff was just real with me. They kept it ‘100’ with me and I feel like (if) I work with them, we can make something great happen.”
(I got you listed at 6-1, 225, but I feel like you play at about 6-5, 270 because you just play really big. The Dolphins have been aggressive in free agency and the draft getting big pieces on the offensive line, getting big blockers at tight end and receiver – you fit that mold. I’m curious how you think your physicality can help this Dolphins offense.) – “Just being at Miami and seeing everything going on, I feel like Miami is a huge downhill team. I feel like that’s one of the A-plus things I have in my bag coming into this draft and I feel like that’s just the perfect match with Miami. Coach Mike (McDaniel), he’s real aggressive with it so, you know.”
(Tell me about the pressure of being an Oklahoma State running back. You got Barry Sanders and that whole line of guys, how tough is that?) – “I would just say it’s really just living up to the expectation; being a running back in that offense or just the school in general, you got to live up to the greats in front of you. I feel like we definitely hold that and pride that at Oklahoma State, and I felt like I had to step up to that totem pole and that’s what really happened. So I felt like it’s a lot of pressure like you said, just seeing Barry (Sanders), Thurman (Thomas), Terry (Miller) – all the greats that just come through and, you know, ball. Chuba (Hubbard), Jaylen Warren, it’s just all greats around.”
(How was the wait for you? What was the draft experience like? Did you go about where you thought? Were you nervous? Were you anxious? Were you chill? How were you?) – “If anybody could sit here and say that they weren’t anxious or nervous during this time, I feel like they would be lying to y’all. I’m going to be real; I was a little anxious. I was a little nervous, but you got to trust and believe. You just got to stick to your gut and the time came, and it came. God was great, the whole time, put my trust on him and it was good.”
(I see you went to Euless Trinity High School. I know y’all are like five, six years apart but do you know CB Kader Kohou? Have you ever been in contact with him?) – “So the crazy part is – I’ve got a brother, he played DB and he’ll be watching Kader’s tape. And the crazy part is I was at my visit in Miami and Kader was like, ‘You Ollie?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ and he was like, ‘I went to Euless Trinity.’ I’m like, ‘Oh bet, I know who you are.’ So I went ahead and talked to him, we dapped it up. He told me, he was like, ‘I hope I see you here,’ and we’re here now. So it’s a little reunion, can’t go wrong with it.”
(Obviously, 2023, incredible season – 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Things got tougher for you last year. I think I read a quote from a scout that said, “Don’t even watch the 2024 tape, watch 2023. It wasn’t his fault.” I’m curious from your perspective though, what is something that you’re proud of over this last season despite the numbers not being what they were in 2023?) – “I would just say the bond that I built with my teammates. Even though things didn’t go our way, I still feel like those are my brothers. I can call on them. I can call them right now. A bunch of them texted me ‘Congratulations,’ but it’s just the bond I got to build with them and to be on the field with them. And it’s just like, with me I take team pride – team pride is No. 1. Even if we lose, I’m still with my dawgs regardless. And for them to stay by my side, and I stick by their side, I feel like we’re good.”
(To stick on that subject, what do you feel were some of the factors that led to the indifference in production from 2023 to 2024?) – “I would just say in 2023, teams didn’t really know who we were. They didn’t really know what was coming. They didn’t know the quarterback, the running back situation because we rotated a lot. But as we got through 2023, we figured out who we were, got stuff done. I feel like 2024, teams went in and realized that they had to stop the run, because you know Oklahoma State, we love to run first. We’re going to run first if anything. We don’t have a bunch of great running backs for no reason, so I feel like once teams figured that out and stopped the run and made us change our mind up and throw the ball, that’s when I feel like we kind of got into a little hole.”
(I know you’re very physical with your downhill running style. How would you describe your mindset when you got the ball in your hands, and you’ve got a defender in front of you that you’re about to go through?) – “Honestly, my mindset is me versus you, and I’m banking on me every time. I can’t sit here and lie to you; I’m banking on me every time when I’m in there on one-on-one’s. So that’s my mindset – it’s either you’re going to get out of my way, or I’m going to run through you.”
(What do you think of Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “As soon as I met him – I can’t lie – I fell in love with him, man. It’s just his energy, he just – I feel like he’s what I would be if I was a head coach. His energy, his vibe, he kept everything true with me. He told me, he was like, ‘Your tape is great. Your 2023 tape is great. Your 2024 tape kind of held you down,’ but he was like, ‘I mean, if you get in late rounds, we’ll find you.’ He told me the offense fits me and that I can help the offense. Like I said, for me, it’s (team) first, so I’m here to do anything for the team.”
(I wanted to go back for a minute to the 2023 season. You had 1,700 yards, Doak Walker award, I can envision where a running back would be thinking really great things for your future in terms of the NFL. What was going through your mind in terms of your NFL potential in your NFL career at that point?) – “Well in 2023 I couldn’t really think of that, because that was only my second year; I didn’t redshirt, so I was true sophomore. You’ve got to be out of high school three years, so I knew I couldn’t come out then, but my mindset after that Doak Walker was really winning another Doak Walker, take it to the next level. Sometimes things don’t go all as planned, because if it did, everybody would be so successful. It was just some of those things that you’ve got to take to the chin, go back to the whiteboard, adapt to it, figure out what you’ve got to change, keep moving on.”
(How would you describe your running style?) – “I would say I’m a bruiser. I’m going to run through you. I’m going to make you want to not tackle me late in games and beginning of games.”
(You wore No. 0 at Oklahoma State, and the Dolphins just released some new jersey numbers and veteran QB Zach Wilson was No. 0, except he’s never worn it before in his career. Might you be inclined to try to have a conversation with Zach to see if he would be agreeable to let you keep your No. 0?) – “Look, when you come to these new teams, you’ve got to respect the vets. I don’t want to be on no side of the vets, I want to take in and learn from them, so I’m going cool with it. I’m going to be fine with the number I get for the first year. Like I said, I’m a team guy, so if my guy wants to put that zero on, that’s my teammate now, I’m going to respect him. He’s a big dawg and I know my boundaries. I’m going to be cool; I’m going to respect it. I just have to find something else I look good in.”
(But you wouldn’t mind it if he were to like say, “Ollie, there you go. You can have zero.”) – “He gave it to me, I’m going to have to give him a big hug, big hug. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t even trip. I wouldn’t even go out my way to ask for it. It’s just a respect thing. If I was the vet and I just changed my number to zero and we had a younger guy coming in, I’m not giving up my number, so I wouldn’t be mad at him.”
(I just watched this 26-second clip, not of your best runs or catches, but of you pass blocking. I wanted to ask you, what kind of pride do you take in being a pass blocker at the running back position?) – “I’m going to keep it so for real with you right now; when I’m in that pass pro mode, I’m trying to take you out. (laughter) That’s going to be your last play blitzing; if I’ve got to cut you, if I’ve got to run through your face, that’s going to be your last play blitzing, and I’m going to make you think about it. So that first time, if I don’t get you, I promise later in the game, I’m going to get you. I promise you that one.”
(I noticed in your film from 2023 to 2024, you stopped doing cut blocks. Why is that?) – “So (in) 2023, I was more heavier on the cut blocking, getting it done, but I feel like (in) 2024, I gained a little bit of weight and that weight room helped me out, so I got to feeling myself a little bit. Shout out Coach (Rob) Glass, my strength coach. I got to feeling myself a little bit, so now I was at the point to where I’m like, ‘OK, I could take these 250, 260 linebackers and meet with them head up.’ So that’s why you saw less cut blocking.”
(Who is one defensive player in the NFL that you really want to put them on the ground?) – “I’m going to have to go with my boy that got picked yesterday, Nick Martin from the 49ers. I would love to catch a live hit with him, just because I’ve been at practice with him and I’ve seen him craft. I’d definitely have to say him.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
CB Jason Marshall Jr.
(Did you grow up a Dolphins fan? What was your reaction knowing that you’d be coming back home?) – “Honestly, I went to a lot of Dolphins games, so they were definitely high up there. I watched a lot of games. Once it got the call, it’s a surreal moment to be able to play back at home.”
(This is a franchise that will offer an opportunity at cornerback, they had a need there and are in talks of trading CB Jalen Ramsey. What do you think of the opportunity with your first NFL team here? – “Definitely a great opportunity. I’m coming in ready to work. Like you said it’s a big opportunity and I’ve got to (go) forth to that.”
(Were you a Dolphins fan or did you have a different team as a youngster?) – “Honestly, I don’t have a favorite team. But like I said, I’ve been to a lot of Dolphins games since it’s really down the street. I wouldn’t say I had a specific team that I liked.”
(Is there a Dolphins corner or another NFL corner that you very much enjoyed watching, studying and all of that?) – “In my books, No. 1 is Jalen Ramsey. Especially with his size, his strength and basically how he plays the game, I would say Jalen Ramsey. So I try to model my game somewhat after him.”
(Watching you play your games at Florida, a lot of man coverage reps. I’m just curious how you balance the concept of playing man and zone, and how you think that can translate to the next level?) – “Honestly I’m well to play at any form of defense; whatever the coach throws at me, I’m willing go out there and perform at a high level. Honestly playing man, whether it’s Cover 3, whatever the coverage is, I’m willing to go out there and perform at my highest.”
(I know you had a lot of offers coming out of high school and being a Miami kid choosing to go up to Gainesville. Did you get a lot of flak for that back in those days when you made that choice?) – “Definitely, especially being highly rated Miami wanted me really bad. Ultimately I chose Florida just by going up there, it’s a different scenery, being able to meet new people and have different opportunities. Basically I took that opportunity and ran with it, was able to play my freshman year from then on, but now I’m back at home.”
(Head Coach Mike McDaniel always says that adversity is opportunity, and at the end of last season at Florida you suffered a season-ending injury, but you recovered to impress at the NFL combine. You had a great 40-time, 37.5 inch vertical and 10 foot broad jump. What was the feedback you got from the Dolphins if any at the combine?) – “Honestly it was just talking to scouts and stuff like that, but as far as feedback or anything, I really didn’t get that much. I feel like where it all turned around was my local day when I previously went there a couple of weeks ago.”
(You mentioned those memories of going to a Dolphins game, but do you have any games that stood out to you that you went to? Any key memories from those times going to Hard Rock stadium watching the Dolphins?) – “Honestly just being there. Being a little kid and just going to the stadium, sitting in the stadium seats and like, ‘Man, I’m dreaming to be here.’ And today that opportunity came up and now I’m going to be on the field. I would say that’s the biggest thing. Being able to see all the players that went through Dolphins history that played on that field these previous seasons, but now my name being called and I’m having the opportunity to go and play on the field as well.”
(Would that be with youth teams, or did you just go on your own with just friends and family?) – “With family.”
(Another question I wanted to ask you is DT Leonard Taylor III, another guy from Palmetto, is on the Jets. What’s that going to be like being on rival teams which you kind of were in college – Miami-Florida – but also now in the pros.) – “’LT,’ that’s my guy. But again, we’re going out there and competing. This is a life opportunity for both of us, especially where we come from, and then also going to the same school in high school. Like I said, this is a blessing and great opportunity for both of us to be in this predicament now.”
(You said things started to turn around for you in terms of your communication with the Miami Dolphins at your Pro Day. What was it that really stood out to you? Was it the coaching or some instruction, or the on-field work?) – “Definitely the on-field work. I felt like I went out there and I was the best performer, honestly in my opinion, was able to set myself apart from everybody else. Then just the coaching staff – Coach Mike McDaniel, just talking to them and having conversations with them. Ultimately, I feel like that’s where it changed at.”
(Did the communication grow from that point in your opinion?) – “Yes, I honestly feel like yes.”
(How many other teams did you visit? Did you take any 30 visits?) – “To Green Bay.”
(What do you feel like is the next step for you? What do you know you can do even better in the pros than you did in college?) – “Honestly, I would say my game in general. My mindset, coming into the building when I first get there ready to work. Then all of the little bitty details that’s on the field I can work on. Just coming in ready to work, changing my mindset.”
Saturday, April 26, 2025
DT Jordan Phillips
(Did you have a feeling that the Dolphins might be interested in drafting you?) – “Yeah, I did a little bit because at the combine they were one of my formal meetings. It was a great experience at the combine.”
(You’ve probably heard that the Dolphins had a defensive tackle named Jordan Phillips. Have you ever watched any film of Jordan Phillips? Have you ever hit him up on social media? What did you think of the film?) – “Yes. Absolutely. So one thing about me, I study every d-tackle that’s like in terms of being at the top of their game, I study every great d-tackle. And even all different types of d-tackles in the league and I have watched Jordan Phillips, as a matter of fact. I watched him early on in his career when he was with the Dolphins and then when he went to the Cardinals and then now the Bills. He’s physical, real good run stopper. He gets after it pretty good and he’s a 10-plus-year vet, so that’s great.”
(Are you familiar with DT Kenneth Grant? The 339-pound – between the two of y’all, you’re pretty big together. What do you think you can do next to each other?) – “Like I said, not only do I watch great NFL defensive linemen, but I also watch great college football defensive linemen, so I every d-lineman in this draft class. I’ve seen their play and know their game from a tee. Kenneth Grant – very talented, very athletic for a big guy. I got a chance to see him a little bit during the Shrine Bowl. I got a chance to just be around him. I didn’t see him perform at the Shrine Bowl, but he’s definitely athletic and just physical at the point of attack and his game definitely does stand out to me. And I think that us together, we’ll do some special things together.”
(It sounds like you’re a big student of the game, like you’re rattling off Bills DT Jordan Phillips’ career highlights. That’s not very common that people can do that. I’m wondering who’s your favorite defensive tackle or defensive lineman ever?) – “Ever? It would have to be between – in terms of technicality, Aaron Donald, in terms of technicality. In terms of physicality and just dominant – Vince Wilfork, Warren Sapp, John Randle. Guys like that, just in terms of dominating the game.”
(I also wanted to ask you, I’ve been reading some stuff about your character and leadership there at Maryland. Read a great story about Mike Locksley praising you for bringing guys along with you and your teammates saying that you were all about the big picture of the team more so than your own accomplishments. You win the Pat Tillman Award at the Shrine Bowl. I’m just curious about what drives that type of approach that you take to the sport and leadership and how you think that can help you with the Miami Dolphins?) – “Absolutely, I’ve always been a team-first guy, just want to put the team before me and just really the drive to want to see the team succeed. I do definitely plan on bringing that with me to the Dolphins. It’s been in me since I started football honestly, just the consistency and the will and drive to get my team to the championship. That’s just who I am.”
(What were you doing when you got the call? Were you working out?) – “No, so I was actually here just sitting on the couch. I’m at my agent’s house right now so I was just sitting on his couch just watching the draft and then I got the call. And then it was crazy, like I was just overfilled with so many emotions, just excited, grateful. And I just can’t wait to get down there to Miami and get to work.”
(I’m reading your bio. I see you were a high school weightlifter and wrestler. Obviously I can probably guess how weightlifting helps in football, but how does wrestling specifically help you play the defensive tackle position?) – “Just having grit and the willingness to understand body control. Certain joints move the body like the elbow and just really the triceps, that move. Like grabbing those areas to help move the body and just understanding how to take control and have upper leverage over somebody. And all those things are what you need in order to be a great defensive lineman, so those things have definitely contributed to my game.”
(I’ve noticed that you basically have two years of college eligibility. Now you could’ve transferred and when wherever you wanted to go for the NIL and probably went to the SEC and made a million dollars. Why did you choose to enter the NFL Draft so early and so young?) – “Because I was like, honestly, I go about my business like a grown man and I’m mature enough to do so. And on the field, I’m violent, I’m aggressive. I’m able to have great production and help out my team in an effective way and all those things are what you need in order to be sustainable in the NFL in order to be a great player. And also my loyalty to the University of Maryland and ‘Coach Locks’ (Mike Locksley) is very high. Of course I did have opportunities to transfer, but that’s not the route I wanted to take. I believed in the program and I believed in ‘Coach Locks’ and so I wanted to stay there and continue to help build.”
(I know the Dolphins just took another defensive tackle, first-round pick in DT Kenneth Grant. Just how do you guys plan to push each other to get to that final destination?) – “The first thing I plan to do is just meet him, understand what type of guy he is. That way I understand better how to help and help guide him, let him know who I am and what my personality is like, so he knows how to push me and I just plan on just going in there, having a great relationship with him, us pushing each other and working together will help us become better. It’ll help us add value to ourselves so that way we can add value to the whole organization.”
(Talk to us about how Head Coach Mike McDaniel introduced himself to you at the interview process?) – “I do my research on all the greats in terms of coaches, in terms of players also, so I already knew who Coach McDaniel was. I already knew that he was a players’ coach, a coach who (is) a great leader and so it was honestly an honor just to meet with him during the formal interviews during the combine. And it was a great experience talking to him again, just a few minutes ago when I got drafted, so that was pretty cool. I’m not going to lie.”
(Going back to the student of the game part – are you also a student of particular teams? Do you know much about the Dolphins history and if so, what stands out in that regard?) – “The Dolphins have had really good defensive linemen. You’ve got Jaelan Phillips… also they drafted Chop Robinson last year. Christian Wilkins who now he’s with the Raiders. Obviously Jordan Phillips. Just guys like that. I’ve studied their d-line for a little bit of time now. I just always try to make an effort just to be a student of the game and watch different groups of d-line in general and different d-linemen.”
(Are you very familiar with DT Zach Sieler, the team MVP from last year?) – “No, but I definitely do plan on educating myself on that. As a player and as a man, I’m always willing to learn and become educated on everything so I definitely will be doing my research on that.”
(The Dolphins took S Dante Trader Jr. 14 picks after Jordan Phillips. What are Dante’s strengths?) – “Dante (Trader) is a great leader. Of course he’s a really good football player, really great football player. Of course he’s athletic. He was a dual-sport athlete in college which is hard to do. You have to be committed and hard-working in order to do that and actually be good in both sports, which Trader was extremely good in football and in lacrosse. Like I said, he’s a really great leader. It would be nice where I would be in the facility watching film late and then I’d look over in the room across from me and he was sitting there at the computer and he’s watching film also, and so he’s just a guy that’s really physical, he’s not scared of contact. He’s going to come up, step up and make the play when a play is needed to be made. So that’s what really excites me about him and I can’t wait to play with him because I like I said, we both had a lot of success at Maryland together in terms of pushing each other, in terms of elevating the standard at Maryland and so I can’t wait until we get to the Dolphins and we continue to help build each other and learn from the vets so that way we can in return help lead and help take control. So that’ll be very fun to do with him.”
Friday, April 25, 2025
OL Jonah Savaiinaea
(Can you detail your conversations with the Dolphins and what led to this? Were you surprised that they traded up and went and got you?) – “I did not expect them to do that. Just what my agent just said, ‘Don’t expect to wait too long,’ and I kept my phone by me. Then they called me and that conversation was just excitement all over, my family were cheering me on. They weren’t on the clock so I was kind of confused, and then they told me they were going to trade up. It meant a lot to me, the things they did for me, trading up to pick me, so that just stood out for me and how bad they wanted me. I’m just excited to work right now. Man, I wish I could leave right now, but we’ll wait.”
(In Miami, you’re going to be blocking for QB Tua Tagovailoa, and I understand – correct me if I’m wrong – you guys went to the same high school?) – “Yes. Brotherhood, man. Brotherhood, it brings us back together.”
(What do you think about that, blocking for him and that connection? Had you met him before?) – “I met him before at the Polynesian Bowl back in ’22. As soon as I’d seen the Florida number, I immediately thought ‘Tua, that’s who I’m going to block (for) hopefully in the future.’ And shoot, I’m just excited man. It’s funny because I’ve blocked for only Polynesian quarterbacks all my career, and just going into the league and Tua being a Polynesian quarterback, God never makes mistakes. He wants me to block for my people, so I’m there.”
(How would you describe your approach to pass blocking?) – “I’m pretty firm. I’d say I’m pretty light on my feet. My hands are good. Good recover if I oversell a little bit too much and then if they try to take inside, I can recover fast. That’s what I’m bringing and just that mentality – just because it’s pass block, it’s not passive. We’re always playing aggressive even if it’s pass block. That’s the mentality that I’m approaching.”
(Conversely with the running attack, the Dolphins have this zone scheme where they expect their guards to get out into space. As a guy who has played tackle, what do you know about this particular run scheme and how do you think you can utilize your athleticism?) – “I’m excited to get into this scheme because me and Coach Butch Barry sat down together and we watched how they kind of sell outside zone even if they’re not running outside zone, so that’s good for me. I love running, I love just getting off the ball and run. So just to use my speed in space and just hearing that they run a lot of outside zone, that’s just me. I love running outside.”
(I wanted to ask about your positional versatility. A lot has been made about that. You’ve played left and right tackle in addition to right guard. What position do you feel like you are the most comfortable with and why?) – “I probably would say interior. I’m more comfortable at guard, just because I’m big-bodied, I’m good with my hands and just getting off my stance. I just punch guys right now and I feel like that’s home for me – just putting hands on guys right now.”
(Speaking about your hands and your upper body, there have been some criticisms outside from draft analysts and media about your lower body – that it’s not quick enough for particular inside and outside zone runs. Are there any particular practice reps or things that you’re doing to improve?) – “Just tightening up my stance. When I go to Miami, I trust Coach Butch Barry, he’s going to get me better and just leaning onto him and the rest of the guys getting me right. Just tightening up my stance, maybe give myself a little bit of space from the line of scrimmage and then just work off of that. Obviously we love running outside zone duos here for Miami, so I’m going to be able to show my quick first step, just getting bodies on bodies.”
(A couple years from now, what do you hope people will say about this selection today, drafting you and your impact on the team?) – “That Miami made the right pick. That they’ll remember that they traded up for me and they’re going to be glad that they picked me, so five years from now on, I’ll make sure I’m one of the guys that are bought into this program and we’re – God willing, we’re going to get a Super Bowl in five years, man.”
(Do you have any connections to Miami, Florida or anyone in the Dolphins organization other than QB Tua Tagovailoa?) – “I do have – well Miami, I have a childhood friend, Francis Mauigoa. He plays for the Canes. We grew up in American Samoa. Other than that, never been there besides we played UCF there.”
(The other part – has Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith or QB Tua Tagovailoa or anybody said anything to you since you’ve been drafted that sticks out?) – “No, I haven’t gotten on the phone with them.”
(You’ll be hearing from them soon.) – “Looking forward to that phone call, man.”
(What was your draft day experience like? Where are you? What was the party, celebration like? And obviously, there was mention of you possibly being selected in the first round, was that a day of disappointment for you? What was your thought process coming into today?) – “No, it was no disappointment in yesterday. I told everybody that came in, I had like 15-20 people, and I knew that I’m not expected to go yesterday. I may have a small chance to slip late round. If not, like we said, if I’m not going, then we have today. Maybe God wants me to go today, so when today I heard my name got called, and I’m just glad to be a Dolphin, man. I don’t know drafts before me, that’s out of my control. What I care about is the team that drafted me, so I’m just excited.”
(Where are you now?) – “I’m in Hawaii. I’m excited, man. The family is downstairs, they’re celebrating, they’re eating some good food, man. Yeah, everybody’s just excited man.”
(How big is the celebration?) – “I got 20-25 people now. And just to be right here in the house man, you can smell the food from a couple blocks away, that’s how good the food is right now. So it’s really dope downstairs, just having everybody and those are the people that I grew up with, so that’s the people I want to be around me when today was being presented. So I’m excited.”
(With QB Tua Tagovailoa, we know that he represents more than just himself and his family. He represents an entire community of people. What is that like now that you’re in the NFL and you’ve got generations of kids looking up to you?) – “Man, that’s my plan, that’s my goal. Moving on in this industry, I want to give back in American Samoa because I grew up and there was a camp that Troy Polamalu came out there in 2016 or something like that – Mike Iupati was there actually, too. So he was coaching me up and just looking up to those guys that are giving back and doing things for us little kids, now that I have the opportunity and the chance to do that, I’ll make sure that I do that moving on. And just looking in those kids’ faces, I just see myself through them, so I know what it’s like to grow up in the islands, so that’s something that I wanted to do.”
(How are you feeling and the emotion of getting the phone call and kind of really starting now this next chapter with the Dolphins?) – “Yeah, I’m feeling excited, man. I know I’ve said it multiple times but that’s how I feel right now, that I’m super excited. And just moving on, I just can’t wait to fly up to Miami and just go to work, get this camp in and just meet the guys. Meet the o-line group, meet Coach (Butch) Barry one more time and just get it going.”
(This pick of you for this organization had to have Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s stamp of approval. I’m wondering what your interactions with him were and what your impression is of him as a coach from those conversations.) – “So our first meeting was a formal interview at the Combine and first impression of him, he’s a funny dude, man. He’s super funny and I like that as a coach, they’re not afraid to be themselves. Some head coaches that day, they were all serious and when I took the visit, they were like actually chill. So just Coach Mike actually, he was funny, he was cracking jokes inside there and like right away he said, ‘if I punch you right now, would you punch me right back?’ I was like, ‘yeah, OK. That’s how we’re starting this?’ But other than that, he’s a funny dude, he’s a great coach – I obviously can’t wait to meet him, man.”
(Who do you idolize your play style after?) – “There’s a bunch of guys I watch because I played tackle and guard. When I was at guard, I watched – my ’22 year, names like Brandon Scherff, Quinton Nelson, David DeCastro, just because I wanted to mimic how they use their feet and footwork-wise, they were known for their feet. And then when I moved outside, I watched a lot of Tristan Wirfs, just lower body, how he handles lower body. Trent Williams, Penei (Sewell) and now, my former teammate who I’m about to hopefully face in the future, Jordan Morgan.”
Friday, April 25, 2025
DT Kenneth Grant
(Congratulations. Tell me about the moment when you got the call, when you knew that the Dolphins were selecting you. Were you sitting down? Standing up? Family room? Tell me about that.) – “So I was just looking at the clock and it was down to like four minutes, so I was like, ‘Yeah, they might pass me up on this one.’ But then I looked down at my phone and my phone was ringing and I was like, ‘Oh snap, it might be real.’ So I answered the phone, I’m talking to Chris Grier and we were just having a conversation and I was like, ‘Are you going to pick me or what?’ It was an actual question, but a little confidence in me. But he (asked) if I think he should, so I was like, ‘Yeah, it would be a great investment.’ But after that, just talking to everybody and my family getting excited when I was off of the phone and hugging everybody and the whole community, that was pretty great, excited.”
(How many people were there? Were you at your house?) – “No, I was at like a – it was like a local sports bar in my town. It was about like 175 people there, so good crowd.”
(Just particulars out of the way, do you prefer Kenneth? Ken? Kenny? What do you like to go by?) – “I’d say the easiest is just ‘KG.’ Just cause of my name, Kenneth Grant, KG, but everybody called me Kenny, Ken, whatever. Whatever floats your boat. (laughter)”
(What were your first impressions getting to walk around the facility for the first time?) – “Oh it’s pretty great. You’ve got a real nice facility here. I saw the practice field, that was pretty great. I like grass fields, but the indoor is pretty great as well. The weight room is real good. It’s an all-around great facility.”
(How familiar are you at all with South Florida?) – “Not familiar at all, nope.”
(Have you ever been here?) – “Nope, never been here. First time, yeah.”
(There’s another moment I want to ask you about. A play against Penn State when you hawked down the running back. It’s incredible just looking at you now and seeing the size of you. What does that play – what do you remember about that play? What does that play say about you, not only as a person but as a player?) – “I’d say what I remember about that play, they schemed up a good play, and once I saw that hole I was like, ‘Oh, he’s going to break this loose.’ So the center pulled on ‘Mike B,’ (Michael Barrett) our linebacker, and I actually tried to push him to make the tackle, but then that didn’t work out. And then I had to run down and get him, but what it entitles with me is I give that effort every play. Whether I’m in there or coaching guys that’s in there, I’m always stressing run to the ball so you’re always going to get that effort out of me.”
(When you spoke to Michigan Head Coach Sherrone Moore earlier today, he said you’re always happy, you always have a smile on your face, except when you call the white lines, something changes. What changes?) – “It’s game time. Whether it’s in practice or in the game, I’m always ready to go because on the field, it’s no friends, to be honest. So I mean everybody is trying to get their individual goals, so you’re not going to let another man take your goal. That’s how I think of it.”
(I want to ask you about dealing with expectations. You’re a first-round pick, this is a team that really needs some defensive line help. Do you think about that a lot, that, “I have to be the man,” or “I have to get out here and play well,” or, “just another day, do what I do?” How do you deal with pressure or the expectations?) – “Like you said, there’s obviously pressures and expectations, but I’ve got to live up to those pressures and expectations, you know? (Head Coach) Chris Grier, Coach Mike (McDaniel) and (Defensive Line) Coach Austin Clark, they obviously got high expectations in me, so they’re going to help me – it’s a two-way street. I ultimately want to take control and be a key contributor.”
(Was there a moment in your childhood where you always dreamed the NFL was a possibility?) – “Yeah, I’ve always played peewee football and Pop Warner football, so I was always watching the NFL, having NFL parties with my family, just watching football. We’re a heavily involved football family, so I mean just the NFL has always been on my mind, for sure.”
(Do you have a leader in the clubhouse for jersey number?) – “For jersey number? I’m thinking (No.) 90 right now. Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking about. I was going to go with No. 94, but I want to be my own person instead of getting the same number as ‘Wilks’ (Christian Wilkins).”
(The Dolphins already made their second-round pick, big OL Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona. What do you think about the maybe interior offensive line battles that will come from you two rookies?) – “It’ll be pretty good. Actually, I met him at – I took a visit, I forgot, another organization, but I met him. Good dude, you could tell he loves ball. He’s a big, big guy too. So he can come off the rock.”
(One of your teammates went off the board to Arizona, Will Johnson. A little later than a lot of people thought, what makes him uniquely qualified to bounce back from a slide like this?) – “Yeah, he’s just an ultimate competitor. Whatever he’s doing, whether it’s on or off the field – I even go over to his house sometimes, he’s on his iPad watching film. So when he steps on the field, he’s always going to be ready schematic-wise, but he’s a dawg, bro. Injury or not, he’s a dawg. He’s going to power through it and hit you, for real.”
(When we spoke to you last night, you mentioned one of your goals being winning a Super Bowl, which you hear from draft picks quite often, but you also mentioned the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, which you don’t hear from draft picks quite often. What drives you toward that goal and what have you done so far that maybe helps the communities where you play?) – “The reason why I want to be a (Walter Payton NFL) Man of the Year, one of my favorite players, Cam Jordan, a d-end on the Saints, he’s just a great person in general, helping the community, helping the people in need. He’s a great football player, so I mean, who doesn’t want to be a great person and a great football player? It will only boost you. I mean from my standpoint, I just want to be a good role model in my community, from where I grew up from, show those guys there’s a way out and you can make it. I’m living proof. But from a Super Bowl standpoint, I think I’m a culture changer. Being from Merrillville – before I went to Merrillville, we were 1-9. Then right after that, we went to four straight semi-states. Then Michigan, going to Michigan, never beating Ohio State before. Then the year before I got there, we won it and then when I got there, we carried on that legacy. So I think I’m a culture changer for a winning culture, for sure.”
(I was going to ask you about that; at Michigan, you guys went from good to great. Do those lessons translate to the NFL and what are some of the lessons – hard work or whatever – what can translate do you think?) – “Yeah, I mean every season is a lesson because every season is not the same. If it’s in college or the NFL, you just got to – whatever lesson it is that season, you got to hone into that and know your identity of what the team is and how you’re going to be better within the team. I’ll say just some of the lessons, you can’t take a day off because if you take a day off, that’s another opportunity another team is getting better. So you always want to be on your Ps and Qs and bring it every day.”
(Is there something you’d like to buy?) – “I said on the ESPN thing, I want to buy a pond. I’m big on fishing. My dad’s always took me fishing so I kind of embarked on that, so that’s one of my main hobbies.”
(Did you say a pond?) – “A pond, yeah. (laughter)”
(Just watch out for the alligators.) – “Oh yeah, that too. I’ve never seen an alligator before, so a little worried about that.”
(To follow up on a question that they asked earlier, at what point do you remember when you thought, “Hey, NFL is a realistic possibility for me?” Like everybody can aspire to it, but then there’s a point where it’s like, “Oh, you’re on the radar.”) – “Yeah, I would say when I got my first offer at the end of my freshman year in high school. I got my first offer from Bowling Green actually. Got my first offer there and they pulled me – in the middle of class, they pulled me and I was like, ‘Wow. You’re pulling me out in the middle of class, I must got a lot of talent and can make it.’ So that’s kind of when I thought I could take it to the next step.”
(Your defensive coordinator now is a former NFL defensive lineman himself Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver. What do you think you can learn from him and what’s your impression of him?) – “My impression of him, great guy. Easy to talk to, but obviously he’s going to coach you hard. He wants to win as well, so he’s going to hold me to a high expectation and a high standard. I think I can learn a lot from him, kind of running some of the similar stuff, but his type of style and what I can add to my game within the scheme.”
(You talked about being a culture changer, and Head Coach Mike McDaniel said yesterday that you make the players around you better. How do you do that? How do you come on to a team and make the people around you better?) – “You have to challenge them, first off. I think challenge them off the field. Challenging them on the field is easy because you’re competing in football, but off the field, you want to hold your teammates accountable and get the best out of them off the field, because off the field things can translate to one the field. It kind of works hand in hand.”
(I’m wondering if you listen to critics. There are people that were saying that DT Mason Graham made a lot of the success for you, he made your life easier. There are people that were saying you were probably going to go in the 20s not No. 13. Do you listen to that? Do you use it as fuel? Do you just disregard it? How do you handle that?) – “I just disregard it. Sometimes it just pops up on my phone just because I’m on my phone. But who doesn’t want to use it as fuel, because that’s someone doubting you; you want to prove them wrong. That’s kind of the type of person I am. I want to prove everybody wrong, and be like, ‘Oh, that was a great pick.’”
(Are you willing to be a goal line fullback, or go in there on offense? Have you ever done that?) – “I’m willing to do anything. Yeah. (Michigan Head) Coach (Sherrone) Moore, we had like a little scheme where I’m running the rock or whatever. Whatever coaches here want me to do I’m willing to do it.”
(You didn’t get to carry it in college?) – “No I didn’t. (laughter)”
(How has the last 24 hours been for you? Have you been able to get any sleep?) – “Yeah, I’ve been trying to prioritize sleep just because it was a quick turnaround. They wanted me to fly out here, I wanted to come out here the next day. Just prioritizing sleep and trying to stay off of my phone and be in the moment and enjoy it with my family, for sure.”
(How important is it to have your family here and experience it with you?) – “It’s really important to be honest just because they’ve never experienced this, just like I’ve never experienced this to this magnitude. All of their sacrifices and the hard work they’ve put in supporting me and things like that, it’s just great to give it back to them and have them here with me.”
(How far is Merrillville from Gary?) – “It’s literally the same town – train tracks, literally the same town.”
(I saw both, but as soon as I saw Gary, I had to ask do you listen to Freddie Gibbs at all?) – “No, I haven’t. (laughter)”
(It gets hot in training camp, are you ready for that?) – “Oh yeah, I’m ready. Who doesn’t like hot, can’t beat it.”
(One of the ways you disrupt the passing game that maybe a lot of people wouldn’t look at it as the first thing that comes to mind is getting your hand up and batting the ball down. I was surprised by how many PBUs you have. What gives you the knack to do that?) – “Just being smart and savvy. If I’m taking on a double team and I’m getting there trying to win, I’m going to put a hand up once the quarterback is in his throwing motion. It’s just being able to get a good feeling of how the timing of the quarterback is. Every quarterback is different. They don’t have the same timing, but you have to study and know their weaknesses and things like that.”
Friday, April 25, 2025
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(You obviously had a conviction on the player. Were you concerned with trading the third round pick you lose an opportunity to add maybe a starting caliber corner when you need a corner? How much did that weigh on you?) – “It didn’t weigh at all. For us just candid this was a player we had targeted, we spent a lot of time with, we had him in on a 30 visit, spent a lot of time at all-star games. Butch (Barry) went out and spent a day with him and had a private workout with him. This is a player that we were very convicted on for what he can add with his size, his power, he’s got versatility. He’s played tackle, guard. So he’s an athletic kid, and as we spent time getting to know him he was the right kind of guy for us. He loves ball, he’s very competitive, so for us it was important as we were going through the board that he was the highest rated guy we had. And so the opportunity arose and we took it.”
Chris Grier:
(How difficult was it to give up the amount of assets and resources that you gave up to move that high?) – “It always is. Draft picks are valuable, but at the end of the day this was a player that we were convicted in that was going to be a starter for us. He’ll play guard for us. He understands that. We’ve talked to him about it. We’re excited about it, and at that point we’ll still keep working here tonight and see if there’s opportunities for us to possibly jump back in.”
Mike McDaniel:
(What makes him a scheme fit for you guys?) – “I think first and foremost beyond the scheme fit we were elated to have – we had an objective going into the draft of the types of people we wanted to add and the types of impact we’d hoped they’d have. And I think first and foremost setting the pocket in protection is something that he is very, very skilled at. The idea of adding not only a fierce competitor but someone that plays with the tonality of violence and aggression. That was something that Chris (Grier) and I had talked at length about how many people can fit that bill. So that strong conviction – the draft picks every round is important to us, but you’re also weighing that with do you have an opportunity to get someone that fits the bill in multiple ways for something that we’ve identified for a long time needs to be our focus if we have that opportunity. So really pumped. I think pass protection and run scheme, I think is a great fit for him.”
Chris Grier:
(Your first two picks weigh more than a combined 655 pounds. Aside from stocking up the cafeteria, is that by design? Some big people?) – “Maybe. It’s just they are good football players at the end of the day. We had talked about a lot of things that Mike (McDaniel) wanted to do and us working through it with the staff and the scouts of what we were looking for and they both happened because they’re both big and they are both powerful guys. So adding that to the o-line and d-line, we felt that was very important through this process. So at the end of the day we’ll take anyone that we feel is a good player that could potentially start for us, but adding size and youth to those groups is very important.”
Chris Grier:
(Recognizing that you can only do one thing at a time, how concerned are you with the cornerback situation at this point?) – “The draft is not over and as well as there are some players still – pro free agents that we talked about – and there may be opportunities through trades with other people. It’s something that we’ll address and keep working through, but we’re still early in the draft, we’ll look to fill not just corners but other positions and add depth as well.”
Chris Grier:
(Corner would seem to be the only real hole on the roster at this point. Is there any thought to try to reconcile with CB Jalen Ramsey because the quality of a player he is? Is that at all a realistic course to move forward with Jalen Ramsey and reconcile whatever issues there are with him?) – “I would just say we never close any doors on anything, but we’re just going to focus on the Miami Dolphins here right now, and the draft, and the players that we’re adding to the team right now.”
Mike McDaniel:
(The idea of toughness that you were talking about in kind of approaching these first two picks. I know it’s something that’s been brought up in here – how tough this team is viewed. I’m curious what conversations there has been as far as player feedback or anything within the building that has kind of lent itself to you guys maybe needing to be aggressive in adding those types of players?) – “I think that there is a mutual understanding amongst Dolphins right now for the 2025 version that just started getting their work in that, non-negotiable, we’re going to be one team moving in one direction and we’re going to earn everything we get. In terms of narratives, in terms of those expectations that guys should have, but when I tell you there is not really any time spent talking about what other people are saying the opportunity that you have is to do with action what people will ultimately have new narratives for. You’re the controlled variable. If you can put fourth a good day’s worth of work and you have teammates you can trust all the things that are being said about whatever, that takes care of itself. I think the team will embrace our two draft picks thus far because we kind of know the team that we have and the type of guys that will flourish. And I think it fits something we are really trying to define every day which is the type of people we are, the type of team we are and that will be defined by our work.”
Chris Grier:
(This draft was supposedly a draft where the second day would supposedly – I don’t know if you view it that way – feature the meat and potatoes of what’s available in terms of the quality. How do you feel about the depth of the draft in terms of third day possibilities and what’s there?) – “That’s a very good question because when you make a trade like that you are also looking at what’s down the line and so we feel that there’s some good quality players in the middle rounds of this draft that made us comfortable doing the trade which, again, we felt strongly convicted on the player – we would have done it for Jonah (Savaiinaea) anyway. But I think, especially corners and safeties, offensive line, d-line; like you’ve heard all throughout the offseason, it’s some quality players. There’s some good players that are going to go late in this draft still.”
(OL Jonah Savaiinaea played basically every position on the offensive line. I know you said he’s playing guard here, but how much did his versatility in college factor into your decision to bring him to Miami?) – “It’s important, because you guys have been here when we had injuries that the ability for guys to go out and play tackle or move around in this league is paramount. You see it all the time. And so to have someone as big as him and as athletic as he is, being able to play four spots for us is key. But he’s excited for the opportunity to come here at guard and compete for the starting job.”
Mike McDaniel:
(What excites you about a line – it’s all young guys – and good in this scheme, obviously, with T Patrick Paul, OL Austin Jackson, G James Daniels, the young man you drafted tonight and OL Aaron Brewer?) – “It’s about getting better. I think that was a focus, a major focus of ours. So we’ve been very focused to find the right people, take advantage of the opportunity we think we have. I think there’s something that guys believe in that – what does that mean and what is that line? They will tell us with their work, and that’s what they’re excited to do. Obviously, we feel convicted in the players that we’ve added this year and some of the pieces that we’ve had at that position, but more than anything, I think we have the right type of guys to go to work and attack the process so they can define what the offensive line is for the Miami Dolphins. I will say, that through the collective group – all the people you’ve mentioned and some more players, they’re all very hungry and eager to work at their craft and help us grow as an organization.”
Chris Grier:
(Last year you traded a future year pick to get RB Jaylen Wright. Are you open to possibly trading a future year pick this year?) – “We’re open to, like we always are, opportunities if we think there’s a good football player at a position that will help us to come in and compete for a job – we’re always open to doing.”
(The offseason started with you saying you’re going to have to invest in the offensive line. Beyond just liking this player, how much is this a testament to that philosophy?) – “Again, the offensive line, we understand what the talk has been around here. But like we said, we had always thought when we added Connor Williams and people in the past here, too, that we were adding good players of value. So the offensive line is always a focus. We’ll always defend those guys because, as I’ve told you and you guys have all seen, they’re the hardest working guys out there. They stay after practice. After practice they meet. They’re our closest unit, but adding some youth in there with Robert (Hunt) leaving for free agency a year ago was important and to add some guys back in there – we’re excited about James (Daniels), just like we were with (Aaron) Brewer last year when we brought ‘Brew’ in, a lot of people weren’t talking about ‘Brew.’ So yeah, we’re investing in it and getting younger. Patrick Paul last year coming in and learning from ‘T-Stead’ (Terron Armstead), which was great and ‘T-Stead’ has been really helpful and influential on him. So yeah, we’re excited about the group and adding these pieces in.”
Thursday, April 24, 2025
DT Kenneth Grant
(I’m curious, what has your contact with the Dolphins been ever since I’m assuming you met with them at the combine? Is this a team you’ve been in regular contact with for the past couple of months? Or were you surprised your name was called here?) – “I was pretty surprised. All of the teams talked to me, but I never really had a good idea where I was going. And then tonight happened and I was in Miami. I’m in Miami. (laughter)”
(Just based on what you know about this defense, how do you see yourself fitting into this scheme?) – “I fit in great. It’s a similar – kind of the same scheme as my previous school. Some things are a little bit different, but I think I can wreak havoc in the backfield, run and pass game. Draw attention so another teammate now Zach Sieler gets some sacks and I’ll still too.”
(I read an article, I want to know if it’s true. It says that in middle school you were 300 pounds?) – “Yeah, I guess around there.”
(What was that like?) – “To be honest, I don’t think I was 300 (pounds) in middle school. (laughter) That sounds a little off. I was just normal; I played all sports. I was real heavy in sports.”
(When did you realize you were big?) – “In kindergarten, I guess. (laughter) I was always the biggest guy in the class. I already knew I was pretty big.”
(At the Combine you mentioned DT Vita Vea and DT Dexter Lawrence. In what ways would you like to emulate their style of play?) – “I think Vita Vea, he’s just a wrecking ball. He causes havoc in the backfield. Dexter Lawrence, great technique. He also comes of the ball in the one technique, zero technique. I think I got a little mixture of everybody, to be honest. I can do everything.”
(General Manger Chris Grier just spoke to us and talked about your versatility and said that he doesn’t view you as just a run stopper. If you come in and have to take on a starting role right away, how do you think your versatility can help you make an impact at the NFL level right away?) – “Just being versatile, that’s the biggest impact that you can make. Me being able to play from the 0, 1, 2i, 3, playing all those techniques, I think I can play all of those pretty good.”
(You do have a reputation as a run stopper. Tell me about the toughness and the aggressiveness that it takes to take on double teams and stop guys carrying the ball at the line of scrimmage, behind the line of scrimmage. Talk to me about that mentality.) – “You just got to have a dog mentality – team over me type of mentality and kind of headspace. Just being able to be a guy that does all of the dirty work, let other teammates shine, but when the roles are reversed, your teammates are going to do the same thing and let you shine. That’s kind of how it works.”
(How important is trench play to winning football games to you?) – “It’s really important because it starts up front. Everything starts up front. If you can’t get things up front going, then it’s going to be a long day. I think this addition to the Miami Dolphins, me and myself, it’s going to be one for the books.”
(Talk to me about the Draft day fit, what you got on?) – “I got on a blue suit, Chrome Hearts – you probably see the heart right there. I got a little chain right here dedicated to my grandparents (who) passed away from cancer, so my homage to them.”
(You talked about your versatility in addition to stopping the run. What are the facets that you like about your interior pass rush that could translate well to the NFL?) – “Just my power and speed. A lot of guys this size aren’t really as fast as me or can do finesse things like me, so I think just working on that. For me right now, it’s all power, bull rush and things like that.”
(Have you talked to Chairman of the Board/Managing General Partner Stephen Ross? He’s big in Michigan circles with the business school named after him and a bunch of Michigan connections.) – “Yeah, he’s a Michigan guy so I mean I’ve always talked to him even before the Miami Dolphins. He’s a Michigan guy, he’s always around and a great person, for sure.”
(You had mentioned the importance of honoring your grandparents. What can you tell me about their influence on your life?) – “I’ll just start off with my grandpa. He’s really the reason I got into fishing and why I love the outdoors so much. He taught me how to fish, put a hook on the line, put a bobber on the line; all the small things you start off with fishing. So I mean that’s one of my great hobbies. And my grandma, she’s still alive, God bless, but she’s been through her hardships and me being able to see her coming out of her hardships and still prosper and be happy for me. I can only do so much – keep pushing, I just want to keep pushing for her.”
(So you’re a fisherman. Going to Miami, that’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?) – “Oh yeah, catch a little mahi-mahi or something. (laughter)”
(I wanted to ask about your pass rush plan specifically that we saw at Michigan. You flashed quick, violent hands. You used the club move; you used the swim move as well. What are some things that you are looking to build into your repertoire this offseason as you start in the NFL?) – “Just to sharpen those things that you named. Sharpen all those things, but like I said, I’m focusing right now on bringing more power, more power rush and adding those repertoires to my system.”
(If you had a crystal ball in five years, what do you want people to say what they mention your name in a football conversation?) – “One of the best guys in the league – on and off the field, to be honest. I want to accomplish the (Walter Payton NFL) Man of the Year Award, but I also want to accomplish winning a Super Bowl, winning all of the individual accolades for myself. But my ultimate goal is a Super Bowl, for sure.”
Thursday, April 24, 2025
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(As much as you like DT Kenneth Grant, did you try to trade down to pick up extra picks? Or once he was on the board, had you said “We’re not trading down. We want Kenneth Grant here at 13?”) – “We were very excited to get him there. He was one of the players that we had targeted. There are a number of players we had liked at that spot and he was one of them. Very happy to get him. We’re always working the phones, that whole process when it gets to – in this draft, especially where we are, when we’re about eight or nine, you’re always working the phones in front of us and behind us. We were actively trying to do it, but very excited for Kenneth. We think he is a tremendous player. We think he’s going to be a potential impact player for us. Very talented, he’s made of the right stuff. So for us, we were very, very happy to add him to the roster.”
(What DT Kenneth Grant over maybe a cornerback or an offensive lineman?) – “For us, d-tackle is a big need. A big nose tackle obviously, but we don’t view him as just a run stopper. We do think he has the ability to generate, and you’ve heard us talk about the pass rush, it’s not all about sacks. The ability to push the pocket in the middle is a huge thing in the NFL now, and we think he has tremendous work ethic and upside to do that. We got to know him through the process, the Pro Day. Again, this was a player we’re very excited to add.”
Mike McDaniel:
(What excites you about adding DT Kenneth Grant and what do you know about him as a person?) – “This is a player – I think from the offseason as it begin, Chris (Grier) and I talked about the way we can impact this team and some of the things that there’s real opportunities to impact one position, but multiple positions. I think the most exciting part of really adding him is you love players that are good players that make other people better players and continue to ascend to have the desire to be great. I think (he) affects the run game, affects the pass game, affects the pocket. You talk about some of the biggest impacts in the National Football League on pass downs is where the line of scrimmage is set or how much pocket push you can get. That in conjunction with some of the things that we’ll be able to do from a defensive standpoint based upon utilizing the skill set in the run game as well where you can play various light boxes at times and have versatility, as well as a guy that can draw some attention from some other really good players. Either way, we feel like if you can add really good players on the line of scrimmage, if we had the opportunity, we were really excited about that and we jumped on this on with elation.”
Chris Grier:
(He’s weighed as much as 350, what have you learned about his conditioning?) – “The college game is obviously a lot faster for the most part because a lot of the no huddle offenses go really fast. So you will have times with a bigger player – that’s always been a complaint that people have against big players. The weight with us, we got to know him through the offseason and what he played at during the season. We’re not concerned about it, he’s not either. I think he showed throughout the offseason process of working it. We did a lot of background studies and information gathering on it and feel very comfortable with him, and from talking to the people at Michigan they don’t really view it as an issue as well.”
(You mentioned Michigan. What was Chairman Of The Board/Managing General Partner Stephen Ross’s immediate reaction to the pick?) – “Very, very happy. He had their fight song playing, so he was very happy to add our first Michigan player in the first round since ’08, I think it was.”
(When you were on the clock and realized that he was still there, was it an immediate “This is our guy,” or what took place before you said, “All right, this is our guy?”) – “Well, (Head Coach) Mike (McDaniel) was like bumping and ready to go, but we waited. We had a couple of calls and listening to people, because we weren’t completely closed off to the idea if an opportunity came. But at the end of the day, we chose to pick him and then I literally got three text from teams right below us saying that that was their guy.”
Mike McDaniel:
(How does this pick reflect the decision that you all want to take the franchise within the next three to five years?) – “I like the question because it was important to us to that we felt like we had an opportunity to pick at No. 13, that you don’t always get that opportunity, you want to take advantage of it and you want to make sure that you do things so that you don’t pick at that spot in the future. In that process, it was important to have a tonality set for the 2025 Dolphins and adding a real presence up front and just a player that is going to attack it and try to play to the tonality that we aspire to. I think it’s very well in step with our vision as we approach the whole process open-minded but trying to figure out by round how we can make the Dolphins better. He’s been on our mind for a long time and we thoroughly, overly thoroughly vetted, and so very excited about what we’re adding because we feel like we have a very clear picture of what that is.”
(Did DT Zach Sieler text you yet?) – “Yes, he did.”
(What did he say?) – “Happy things. And he also said – I thought he was just trying to suck up to the University of Michigan, but he said that he’s heard Michigan guys are hard workers, which he is from Michigan. So I just kept it moving. I said, ‘Hopefully he’ll be more of a strainer than you are,’ because as we know, we’re not worried about Zach straining, but he still gets upset if you question it.”
Chris Grier:
(How do you feel about yourself up the middle now with DT Zach Sieler and DT Kenneth Grant working side by side?) – “Excited about it, obviously. He’s again someone we spent a lot of time with to get to know because he’s a good football player. Him and Mason (Graham) in there together, they did a good job the last two years. They’re a hard team to run the ball on. He played against a lot of good players that have been drafted and even the guys in practice there, Michigan’s offensive line the last few years has been really good. The kid just turned 21 years old, so I just think there’s a huge upside with the room he’s going into, with Zach (Sieler) and the guys that work, and with (Defensive Coordinator Anthony) Weaver and (Defensive Line Coach) Austin Clark, who are great teachers and great motivators. And when he came here, that was the one thing – after he met those guys and got to sit in with Mike (McDaniel) and I for about a half hour or so, he was really excited. So when we called, he was like, ‘You guys are making me nervous.’ He’s like, ‘Are you calling to draft me?’ So very excited to have him and we think he’ll be a great addition.”
(You mentioned your other needs – cornerback, the offensive guard. Do you feel confident that you can address these needs here on Day 2? Is this something that you’re looking more toward free agency for it, and you’ll just go BPA (best player available) when available? As much about the strategy as you can tell me.) – “We have nine picks still. Like we said, the draft process but also free agency as we’ve said before. There’s a number of really good players still out on the streets in free agency that we’ve been in touch with, and a lot of those players right now are just trying to see how the draft unfolds for a lot of teams. So we have nine, we could have more or less. We’re willing to go up and down for the right players, but we’ll be looking at needs – not strictly needs but good football players that fit what we’re looking for.”
(How do you feel about the cornerbacks that should be available on Day 2?) – “We feel good. We feel it’s a deeper group of guys, and that’s always a position – and if you guys watched and study like you do – corners come through all rounds here. Kansas City in the past has played with guys we were looking at who were fifth and seventh rounders. Mike (McDaniel) was talking in San Francisco, their Super Bowl year, there were guys that were late round players playing. So it’s a good draft with a lot of talented kids and it’s just finding the right one for us.”
(Would your preference be to wait on a CB Jalen Ramsey trade until after June 1st because the cap hit this year would be much lower?) – “No, I think we’re open to everything. We’ve been having conversations with teams but we’re open to whenever the right opportunity comes for us and the organization.”
(At the combine, DT Kenneth Grant said that he studies Dexter Lawrence and Vita Vea. Do you see any skill set similarities in that group?) – “Well they’re all big, powerful guys like this kid, and for a big guy, he does have, like people are saying, twitch or explosion. So I don’t want to put that kind of expectations on him, but we do think he has traits that will translate well to the NFL.”
Mike McDaniel:
(How much do you think the trenches will be a trend for you guys in this draft? You said you wanted to invest in offensive line, you made some acquisitions. You’ve gone defensive tackle here. The trenches, will they be a big priority in this draft do you think?) – “I think (General Manager) Chris (Grier) and I are in step in maybe, because there’s opportunities to add players to contribute to your football team, and these opportunities, you can do a lot of different things with them. I think it’s more we’re more active in how can we make our team better, and sometimes you fill those needs in different ways. It’s all about how the presentation shapes out, the things that are available and making decisions off of that and being able to adjust, because you know one thing we’ll try to do is evaluate all of the players and not just get honed in on one – you can get in some trouble there. So we’ll just play it out but feel very good about where we’re at, as we’ve seen the players, how stuff has come off and excited about the upcoming picks, for sure.”
(What’s the expectation for this defensive front – with now DT Kenneth Grant, a healthy LB Bradley Chubb and LB Jaelan Phillips?) – “I think the expectation is realistically something that you can expand to the whole team but particularly I think the front – the defensive front seven – sees themselves as they should, as a growing strength in our team and wants to lead by production. But realistically in general across the board, it’s much less about proclamations of things in the future. The 2025 Miami Dolphins, we’ve been in an offseason program for a week and it’s about guys committing to each other and committing to doing whatever they can to get themselves better to make the Dolphins better – and it’s been, it’s pretty clear in our building. I’m excited to add some more players to that cause, but realistically the expectation is that any controllable that we have, we make the most of each and every day and it’s that build up that’s important to us. And then the results that are in the future will work out based upon our activity today.”
Chris Grier:
(Do you guys have much of a desire to trade back into the first round? And are those opportunities available? As much as you can tell us about that.) – “No, we’re open. We made calls with some teams before we came in here, so we kind of had an idea of what teams wanted to do. So again, not closed off to anything and maybe last pick something happens, but we’ll always listen and see if there’s an opportunity.”
