‘Give them the recipe.’ How Dolphins’ leaders will prepare the young starters
It’s no secret the Miami Dolphins invested heavy in the trenches.
Not only did the team take three defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft, one of which being No. 13 overall pick Kenneth Grant, they gave up significant draft capital to snag Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round.
With many of the picks expected to contribute heavily to the Dolphins, it’s worth wondering how will do team leaders outline expectations? Just ask defensive tackle Zach Sieler and center Aaron Brewer.
“What you did in college was awesome, but the real show starts now,” Sieler said, explaining what he tells the young players. “Don’t mess around — just get ready.”
Added Brewer: “I just try to give them all of my knowledge and mentality — how to attack every day, the standards we want on the field, how to operate on the field and just going out there everyday and being intentional about everything we’re doing and understanding the playbook. I’m just trying to give them the recipe.”
Such advice will be key for the 2025 Dolphins. As much as general manager Chris Grier has avoided the word “rebuild” to describe the team’s current state, Miami — which still remains without a viable starting cornerback — looks to be trending in that direction. Key contributions from picks such as Grant, Savaniiaea and others, however, will be crucial for the Dolphins to not take a step back in 2025.
“Man I’m excited,” Sieler responded when asked about the defensive line’s potential with him and Grant but also edge rushers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson. “I’m real excited to see how we can mesh together. Hopefully we’ll get everyone rolling.”
“As soon as a he gets here, I’m just trying to give him that mentality and get him to the standard ASAP because the future can be so bright for him,” Brewer said of Savaniiaea.
From the onset of the draft, Grier made it clear that the team needed “NFL-ready players.” His selection of Savaniiaea but also nose tackle Kenneth Grant in the first round attest to that.
“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,” Grier said of Savaniiaea. On Grant, Grier expressed similar jubilation.
“D-tackle is a big need,” he added. “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.”
As for the players themselves, they’re no stranger to expectations. When they discuss their NFL futures, their words speak rookies who are prepared for the moment.
“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,” Savaniiaea said. “I’m just excited to work right now. Man, I wish I could leave right now, but we’ll wait.”
Added Grant: “There’s obviously pressures and expectations but I’ve got to live up to those pressures and expectations. Chris Grier, coach Mike 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.”
Even the guys such as fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips appear ready for the challenge ahead.
“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,” defensive tackle said. “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.”
Despite the Dolphins rookies’ apparent willingness to step up in 2025, the truth is the team has a leadership void with the departures of defensive tackle Calais Campbell and offensive tackle Terron Armstead. Throw in the likely trade of Jalen Ramsey in the very near future and the state of the team looks even bleaker. As Brewer alluded to, however, change is inevitable — all that matters is how you respond.
And he plans to respond the best way he knows how.
“My goal is just to pick up exactly where they left off,” Brewer said, later adding that “this is our team. You work with what you got. Whoever’s next to me, whoever we’re playing with — the sky is the limit.”
