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The Miami Dolphins have a cornerstone on their defensive front in Zach Sieler, but the other current starter is being pushed. And that makes Benito Jones one of two Dolphins in danger of losing their starting jobs ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Jones stands in a precarious position because the Dolphins selected Kenneth Grant with the No. 13 overall pick in this year’s draft. It’s going to be a battle for Jones to hold him off.
As for the other spot, it’s receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who faces a challenge from Malik Washington. However, Tyreek Hill’s injury clouds the issue.
Grant isn’t making things easy for Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. But that’s a good thing because McDaniel wants Grant to excel.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said good things are happening with Grant, according to palmbeachpost.com.
“Awesome, awesome,” Weaver said. “He’s everything we thought we’d be. I think his game particularly comes to life when the pads come on, right? And you’ve seen the impact it can have both in the middle of the pocket as a run defender and as a pass rusher.”
And defensive line coach Austin Clark said he wants to push Grant. He said he wants him to go from good to great as Christian Wilkins once did with the Dolphins.
“I think he’s working himself into shape,” Clark said. “I think he works extremely hard. Very smart player. I would say that’s the thing that’s impressive, learning multiple spots, stuff like that. Pleased where he’s at, but he knows we got a long way to go and fired up for these next couple of practices.”
Like other rookies, Weaver said he wants Grant to trust his technique and fundamentals.
“The thing that happens a lot, particularly with younger players, is when they get in that, the fire, and you’re outside of your normal, where you’re practicing against the same guy every day, is they start to revert back to old habits,” Weaver said. “We’re trying to make this new training their new habits.”
McDaniel said Grant has been delivering the goods thus far, according to dolphinswire.com.
“You’re hitting a home run with the team when a first-round draft pick comes in with that mindset,” McDaniel said. “So we can work with that. And veterans know you can count on that. There’s been ebbs and flows like for every rookie. But what I’ve seen from him, I’ve seen production where he wins based on technique and fundamentals early in the snap. And I’ve seen late-down wins where he’s straining and utilizing grit and finish to make plays.”
The Dolphins like the top end of their receiver room with Tyreek Hill a clear-cut WR1 and Jaylen Waddle one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league. But the WR3 spot is still up for grabs. Westbrook-Ikhine leads the way, but Malik Washington is pushing....
