The Miami Dolphins are heading into Saturday’s preseason matchup with the New York Giants minus two key names on the defensive line, and that absence is creating a real opening for Zeke Biggers and Jordan Phillips.
Kenneth Grant, last year’s first-round pick, will not play. Head coach Jeff Hafley said Grant is week-to-week.
Veteran Zach Sieler is also out, with Hafley saying he is day-to-day but unavailable this week. That leaves extra snaps on the table, and both second-year tackles are making the most of them.
Biggers, in particular, has turned heads. Hafley said Tuesday that the young lineman is showing he can handle more than one job up front, including work at defensive end.
"I think he is playing really well." Hafley said on Tuesday."
He is doing a good job at tackle, doing a good job in the run and pass, and he is giving us the flexibility to put him at defensive end. I think he has been one of the most consistent guys."
That kind of versatility matters, especially with the Giants coming to town for a joint practice on Thursday, where Biggers and Phillips are expected to have prominent roles. Phillips has also drawn praise for the way he finished last season, and both players have used the added practice reps to keep pushing forward.
Neither one is in the starting group yet, but that is not really the point right now. The Dolphins need reliable depth, and they have been chasing it for a couple of years. If Biggers and Phillips keep building, Hafley and his staff can keep focusing on the basics inside a system they are still installing.
For Miami, there is some obvious upside in knowing what Sieler already brings and expecting Grant to improve when he returns. But the bigger payoff may come from the edges of the depth chart.
Chris Grier took a major swing in the 2025 offseason by not adding free agents and letting others walk, then used three draft picks on defensive tackles. None of those picks produced over a full season.
That is why Biggers’ emergence stands out. Hafley clearly values technique and consistency, and Biggers appears to be fitting that mold. Even more encouraging for Miami, he has embraced the move to a true 3-4 defensive end role - something last year’s staff may not have seen as viable.
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