Ranking the Miami Dolphins offensive line by talent and potential
By Brian Miller
It isn’t easy to rank players that don’t play the exact same position but in the case of the Miami Dolphins offensive line, we will include potential too.
The Miami Dolphins have spent the last two years really working on making their offensive line better. Will it work out the way they planned or hope it will? It’s a little early to know for sure. In 2020, the Dolphins spent three draft picks on offensive linemen. Including a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a 4th round pick. This after spending a third-round pick the year before. This past April, the Dolphins moved up in round two to take another one.
If there is one thing that we can say without question, when it comes to the Dolphins offensive line, it is that they are young, unproven, but have a lot of upside. If they work out, the Dolphins’ offensive line could be elite.
Durval Queiroz Neto – G: Queiroz Neto is part of the NFL’s International Players program and he has stayed on the Dolphins practice squad the last two years thanks to a roster exemption. He will likely return to that this year as he isn’t viewed yet as a legit 53 man roster contender.
Tyler Gauthier – C: He simply doesn’t have enough experience and really is more depth and reps right now.
Timon Parris – OT: Like Gauthier, he needs reps and experience and both are going to be in short supply this off-season.
Jonathan Hubbard – OT: See above, he needs reps and they will not be easy to find on the first and second-team units.
Robert Jones – G: There is a lot to like about Jones and the fact that Miami thought so highly of the undrafted free agent’s talent that they guaranteed his contract for the year, tells us that they see a lot of potential in him and he could get plenty of reps to prove them right.
Cameron Tom – C: Tom has only a handful of experience. He has 12 games in his two-year career with one start for the Saints but he has roster experience and that helps him.
Adam Pankey – OT: Pankey gets the nod one notch above Tom because he has NFL experience. He will enter his 5th season in the NFL but his body of work is really low. He has 8 games and one start to his resume.
Larnel Coleman – OT: Coleman’s potential is pretty good and he should outplay the guys listed before him. His biggest competition of those players might be Robert Jones but Jones is listed as a guard.
Liam Eichenberg – C/G: Eichenberg is one of my favorite players from this year’s draft and he has a lot of upside but he is unproven at this level so until he gets his feet wet, this sure to rise linemen will have to stay put for now.
Michael Dieter – C/G: Honestly, I think Dieter is ranked a little high here and it’s my ranking. If the Dolphins thought more of him, some of the players they have drafted the last two years wouldn’t have. That being said, Miami looks to be grooming him as a full-time center.
D.J. Fluker – OL: There isn’t a guarantee that Fluker makes this year’s roster. He has skills to be good but he can’t seem to put singular seasons of consistency together. He is a depth player at this point.
Austin Jackson – OT: Jackson had a good but not great season in 2020. He needs to improve and should get better with a full off-season of work. He needs to get more consistent.
Solomon Kindley – G: If there is a margin of difference between he and Jackson it is absolutely minimal at this point. Kindley will face competition at guard and needs to become more consistent.
Robert Hunt – G: Hunt will move to guard after playing tackle last year. The Dolphins believe he could be a Pro Bowl guard. He just might. He plays physically and could play more so inside of the edge.
Matt Skura – C: The free agent from Baltimore could fall into the 2nd spot on this rank if he can fix the snap troubles that plagued him last year. If he does, he is a very good center but a center isn’t worth much if he can’t snap the ball consistently and accurately.
Jesse Davis – G/T: Davis may not be the best offensive lineman on the roster but he is the most versatile and proven of all the lineman. He is consistent up and down the line. He may no longer have the potential the others do, but for now, he is the most reliable.