‘It’s been fun to watch the growth.’ Dolphins rookie class stepped up vs. Bucs
The Miami Dolphins had one goal in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Find players who can contribute immediately.
It was a mandate that took awhile to come to pass — the Dolphins specifically took four players in the trenches who looked rather lackluster to start the season — yet after a 20-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, what the organization had hoped for appears to finally be on the horizon.
“We’ve done pretty well,” said Quinn Ewers, who became the first rookie quarterback since Dan Marino to throw two touchdown passes in a first half. “The way that we all came in together and built a relationship, being in the hotel together, hanging out outside of football, that chemistry only helps us. It’s been fun to watch the growth of these rookies on the team, including myself.”
Rookies on both sides of the ball contributed to the Dolphins’ upset win against the Bucs, chief among them Ewers, whose two touchdown passes helped build Miami’s early lead. It didn’t stop there. Players from defensive tackle Zeek Biggers to cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. to even receiver Theo Wease Jr. played a giant role in Sunday’s victory.
“We’ve been heavily reliant upon the rookie class,” coach Mike McDaniel said, adding that “our group today exhibited one of the reasons why we felt good about the entire class.” “It was very calculated, the types of people that we brought in for the reasons of needing to be able to be professional football players at the NFL level. It is not always an easy task for someone coming straight out of [college]. You go out of college play, you go into training for the draft and then you go from training for the draft right into NFL football.”
It started in the first quarter when Ewers found Wease for a 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The score represented a first for both rookies yet should come as no surprise considering the chemistry that had existed since the preseason. Remember, it was Ewers who connected with Wease for their first NFL touchdown during a 24-17 preseason win against the Detroit Lions.
“We definitely get a lot of work in after practice and in the meeting rooms, too,” Wease said. “I think getting that connection kind of started in the preseason” helped.
Then came Marshall’s interception in the second quarter. One play removed from his first tackle for loss, a backfield stop of Bucs running back Bucky Irving, Marshall went up and snagged Baker Mayfield’s deep pass intended for Jalen McMillan.
“It was sweet,” Marshall said. “It was definitely something, especially being in the hometown in front of the fam, it was sweet.”
At the end of the half, Biggers blocked a field-goal attempt that ended up as the difference-maker in a three-point game.
“I’s a game-changing play,” Biggers said. “We won by three points, so that could have been very different if I didn’t block that. I’m just grateful that I blocked that play and I’m living life.”
Although general manager Chris Grier was fired in late October, his final rookie class appears to be the gift that keeps on giving as players such as Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Dante Trader Jr. made plays that might not show up in the statistics. With the 2025 season coming to a close, more will be expected of this class in the offseason and ahead of next year. Still, the group can take solace in what has arguably been the most complete game from the collective group this season.
“Obviously we all know, we’re not going to sugarcoat it, we’re not making playoffs but to see guys go out there no matter the conditions and just play their best ball and show no quit,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said. “It was really awesome to see so it’s been exciting to see these young boys grow up and look forward to keep playing and keep growing up.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 10:51 AM.
