ESPN NFL draft analyst tabs Dolphins’ first-round pick as ‘poor value’

The Miami Dolphins’ first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was the No. 13 overall selection, and it marked just the second time the team has made a first-round pick in the last four drafts.

The decision that Miami made with its highest pick in a draft since it selected star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has seemingly drawn mixed reviews from fans and pundits alike.

The Dolphins drafted defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, and ESPN’s Matt Miller wasn’t a fan of the pick. In his eyes, it was the biggest head-scratching pick of the entire draft. He also claimed that the pick was a “poor value” from Miami’s side of the coin.

“Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant to the Dolphins (No. 13),” Miller wrote. “This was both a poor value — Grant was an early-Round 2 player for me — and a luxury, given the Dolphins’ needs at cornerback and safety. Grant is certainly a good player, but the value just felt off.”

Grant played three seasons of college football at the University of Michigan before he was chosen by the Dolphins and won a national title in his sophomore campaign with the Wolverines.

However, Grant may have saved his most successful season of college football from an individual standpoint for his swan song at Michigan. Despite suiting up in just 12 contests, he totaled personal bests at the collegiate level in a number of relevant statistics, such as solo tackles, assisted tackles, combined tackles and tackles for loss.

As Miller hinted at, even if Grant wasn’t a great value pick in the first half of the first round, Miami drafting him could prove to be a blessing in disguise considering how depleted the team’s defensive unit might look in the 2025 campaign.

Not only is safety Jevon Holland now a member of the New York Giants after he agreed to a three-year deal with the team, but another one of Miami’s better defenders from last season could be on his way out soon too. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been in trade rumors for weeks now, and general manager Chris Grier has even claimed publicly that the Dolphins are looking to move the former All-Pro player.

The negative viewpoint that some folks have about the Grant pick by the Dolphins will likely evaporate if the youngster can step in and have a positive impact for Miami from the start of the 2025 season.