With the blossoming of rookie running back Ollie Gordon II and the emergence of rookie Jason Marshall Jr. at his new position of nickel corner, the Dolphins’ top two draft choices have almost gone under the radar the past couple of weeks.
That changes Sunday, when the Dolphins open in Indianapolis (1 p.m., CBS-4).
Second-rounder Jonah Savaiinaea will line up as the starting left guard, with the type of bull’s eye that often follows rookie offensive linemen.
Meanwhile, first-rounder Kenneth Grant is expected to handle a significant workload at defensive tackle.
Grant is listed as a second-teamer on the depth chart, but that might be misleading because it lists what the Dolphins lineup would be as a 4-3 defense compared to their usual 3-4.
Among Dolphins defenders who played more than three snaps in preseason, Grant was rated second-best by Pro Football Focus, behind only cornerback Cam Smith. He had three tackles, three quarterback hurries in 23 pass rushing chances and one batted pass.
“I feel I did pretty good,” he said. “Definitely a lot to improve on. I’m pretty pleased what I put on tape.”
But he said where he most needs to improve is “consistency. Every play, being a dominant force.”
He said coach Mike McDaniel and defensive line coach Austin Clark haven’t told him if he’s starting. Does he expect to play a good deal of the snaps?
“I would think but coach Clark likes to keep me humble and tell me I havent arrived,” he said.
Grant said that when he makes a good play, Clark “tells me - the good is good, but it’s never perfect. He always tries to keep me humble, like I haven’t arrived.”
He said he might feel “a little” nervous before kickoff on Sunday but “I’m not the type to get nervous. There’s no time to be really nervous.”
Conversely, Savaiinaea said “even though I’ve been playing football for a long time, i still get nervous. We will see what the bus ride to the field will be like.”
He said he has dreamed of playing in the NFL since second grade.
His preseason was decent; he allowed four pressures and a sack in 48 pass rushing snaps.
PFF ranked him 11th of 21 Dolphins players who logged at least 50 snaps on offense and said he was Miami’s third-best run blocking lineman among the starters.
“I’m never pleased with the performance I put out there,” he said. “There are always things I need to get better on.”
Not only will the 21-year-old rookie need to compete with two accomplished 31-year-old defensive tackles (Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner), but the Dolphins won’t be surprised if defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo tries to confuse him with stunts or twists.
“We will see Sunday,” Savaiinaea said. “You’ve got to prepare for everything.”
What has surprised him about the NFL?
“These [defensive linemen] here are way more athletic than in college. I can’t take any plays off. Everyone is athletic, even when you’re 325 pounds. They can all move side to side.”
He said retired former Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead watched him during a joint practice with the Bears and “told me to time my punch… That plays a really big part of my game.“
Injury report
The Dolphins’ first injury report since early January revealed that tight end Darren Waller has a hip injury.
Coach Mike McDaniel said earlier Wednesday that he would not practice on Wednesday but would practice Thursday because the team didn’t want him to practice three days in a row.
Waller spent much of training camp and preseason on the physically unable to perform list after spending last season in retirement.
McDaniel said this week that he expects Waller to be able to contribute in the opener.
Cornerback Ethan Bonner (hamstring) and running back Jaylen Wright (knee) were the only other Dolphins players on the 53-man roster who did not practice on Wednesday.
Five players were limited: receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique and calf injuries), running back De’Von Achane (calf), receiver Dee Eskridge (concussion), safety Ashtyn Davis (calf) and right tackle Austin Jackson (toe).
Regarding his injuries, Hill said he feels “amazing.” Achane said he is 100 percent; general manager Chris Grier said last week that Achane is expected to play on Sunday. Jackson previously said he will play in the opener.