The Phinsider
We’ve all had a little time to cool down from Thursday night’s Miami Dolphins defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills — and it’s a good thing we had those couple extra days, because the Dolphins’ 0-3 start is their worst since the dreaded 2019 tank special. The 2025 season has been disappointing, disheartening, discouraging, dismaying, depressing, distressing and so distinctly Dolphins, that many fans have already begun looking at highly rated college prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft — a draft in which Miami may have a top-5 pick if the team continues on its dismal downward spiral.
Speaking of incoming rookies, today’s Fins Up, Fins Down article features a pair of 2025 draft picks — one who is performing quite well, and one who has plenty of room to grow throughout the rest of the season.
This week’s Fins Up player is Miami’s sixth-round pick from this year’s selection process — running back out of Oklahoma State, Ollie Gordon II.
Gordon carried the ball nine times against the Bills, totaling 38 yards rushing (4.2 yards per carry) and a touchdown. It was Gordon’s highest touch count of his young career, and the 21-year-old certainly made the most out of his opportunity. During head coach Mike McDaniel’s tenure as Dolphins’ head coach, the team has struggled mightily in short yardage situations. Gordon handled three such carries against the Bills, and converted all three chances.
Miami’s primary back — De’Von Achane — isn’t going anywhere, but adding Gordon to the mix will diversify the Dolphins ground game which could prove important as the season rolls on.
This week’s Fins Down player is unfortunately Miami’s first-round selection from this year’s draft — defensive tackle Kenneth Grant out of Michigan.
Grant was Miami’s lowest graded defensive player against the Bills according to Pro Football Focus — earning a 32.7 score. He had just one solo tackle and didn’t record a sack, forced fumble or fumble recovery. In fact, through three games as a member of the Miami Dolphins, Grant has just three solo tackles total and has yet to show up on the stat sheet in any other meaningful way.
The entire Dolphins defense as a whole has struggled mightily this year, so getting too down on Grant at this stage is something I would strongly discourage, however seeing the youngster make an impact against the New York Jets on Monday night would certainly give Miami’s fanbase something positive to talk about during a season where positivity is in short supply.
