Not to belittle the quarterback position and the importance of Tua Tagovailoa to the Dolphins success this season, but you need to look no further back than this year’s Super Bowl to show how important the offensive line is to winning in the NFL. The greatness of quarterback Patrick Mahomes was muted as he spent the game running for his life due to the inability of Kansas City’s offense line to protect him.
No matter who your quarterback is, you need an offensive line that can protect him. You need an O-line that can give the QB the extra second they need to allow a route to develop downfield. You need a quintet of blockers who open the holes for the running game. And you need an offensive line that allows you to control the clock. They are the engine that drives the car!
In other words, for the Dolphins offense to be successful this season, Tua needs proper protection and the time to find speedsters Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle downfield. Miles Gaskin and the other Dolphins running backs need holes to run through.
The good news for Dolfans is that this year’s group of offensive linemen may be the most talented and deep group of players we have seen in many a years wearing the aqua & orange. Let’s take a closer look at the players who could be lining up in front of Tua this year.
If the season were to start tomorrow, the starters would likely be Austin Jackson at left tackle, Solomon Kindley at left guard, Matt Skura at center, Robert Hunt at right guard and Liam Eichenberg at right tackle. But the season doesn’t start tomorrow and there will be plenty of competition in training camp for not only starting positions but for roster spots as well. Jackson and Hunt are probably the only 2 players who you can pencil in as starters at this point.
Let’s take a look at each position.
Left Tackle – Jackson was a 1st round pick in 2020 and played well as a rookie. Barring an injury, he will be the opening day left tackle. Depth will be provided by veterans Jesse Davis and the recently acquired Jermaine Eluemunor.
Left Guard – Kindley was a 4th round pick last year who played a lot as a rookie at both guard spots. With last year’s starter Ereck Flowers traded to Washington, Kindley has the inside track to start, although rumors of him being 20 pounds over-weight at minicamp don’t bode well. Davis and Michael Deiter will provide stiff competition at training camp.
Center – Veteran Matt Skura was signed as a free agent after playing the past 5 years for the Baltimore Ravens. Although he is the assumed starter, he will have competition from Deiter as well as Cameron Tom. Tom was on the Saints practice squad for the gist of the past 3 seasons, but the Fins are high on him, so don’t count him out.
Right Guard – Hunt was Miami’s 2nd round draft pick last year and started at right tackle for much of the season. But he also played guard in college and although Miami is comfortable with him playing tackle, they think he can be a Pro Bowl level player at guard, so expect him to be the starter there on opening day. Davis and Deiter will provide depth.
Right Tackle – The Dolphins traded up in the 2nd round this year to select Notre Dame’s Liam Eichenberg and he will get every opportunity to be the starter. Eichenberg can play anywhere on the O-line, but right tackle is where he will get the opportunity to start. Davis, Eluemunor and veteran D.J. Fluker, who was signed as a free agent, will provide stiff competition in training camp.
If you were keeping track, that is 10 players competing for 8 or 9 roster spots. As such, Miami will have to cut at least 1 quality offensive lineman and when is the last time you could say that. In years past they have usually been scouring the waiver wire to pick up offensive linemen.
But the depth doesn’t end there, as Miami is also high on 7th round pick Larnel Coleman, a tackle from UMASS, and Robert Jones, an undrafted rookie free agent who played guard at Middle Tennessee State. They also have tackle Adam Pankey who has spent the past 2 seasons on Miami’s practice squad. Although it is unlikely any of these 3 will make the opening day roster, the Dolphins may try to sneak all 3 onto their practice squad. The Fins also have several other linemen in camp who could possibly end up on the practice squad.
How good will Miami’s O-line be this season? That is a tough question to answer right now especially when it’s possible they may have 3 2nd year players plus a rookie in the starting five. A good offensive line needs experience, not just in the NFL, but in playing together as a unit. As such, they should get better each week as they gain more experience.
Bottom line – This unit appears to have more raw talent than any Dolphins O-line in recent memory and it certainly has more quality depth which will be key when the inevitable injuries occur.
With training camp about 3 weeks off, let’s put on those rose-colored glasses for now and envision an athletic and physical group of linemen who will do an excellent job protecting Tua and opening holes for the running backs. If Miami is to make the playoffs this season, the offensive line will need to lead the way. Just ask Patrick Mahomes how important the O-line is!
