The Miami Dolphins need growth from their sophomore linemen

Since Brian Flores took over as head coach in 2019, the Miami Dolphins have used seven draft picks on the offensive line. Those seven picks equate to 29% of Miami’s draft capital in that time frame. The offensive line took a step forward in 2020, but that needs to continue if they plan to contend in the near future. The Dolphins will rely on second-year players Solomon Kindley, Robert Hunt, and Austin Jackson to make that happen.

Why does it hinge on the big men?

Every play starts with the offensive line. If you’re running the ball, the back will need running lanes. If you are passing the ball, receivers will need time to complete their routes and get open. The better your line plays, the easier it is for everyone else.

Can an offense succeed with a poor offensive line? Sure, they can, but it’s difficult, unsustainable, and you might upset your franchise quarterback in the process. Furthermore, this offense doesn’t have the personnel to survive without solid blocking. Let me explain how struggles on the offensive line negatively impacted the offense in 2020.

Run game

I won’t go as far as saying “running backs don’t matter,” but it’s the offensive line that drives the running game. If your line is good enough, there are numerous NFL backs that can have success in your offense. It’s why running back is the lowest-paid position in the NFL (barring punter and LS) and why Chris Grier has never used a first-round pick on one.

One way to separate running back production from offensive line production is to look at yards before contact. Myles Gaskin managed a meager 1.7 yards before contact in 2020 which was among the worst in the NFL. Luckily for the Dolphins, Gaskin was one of the more elusive backs in the league, averaging a broken or missed tackle on 10.6% of his carries-good for 11th in the NFL.

Oddly enough, that high elusiveness didn’t result in a high yards per carry after contact number. Gaskin averaged 2.4 yards after contact which came in at 25th in the NFL. What conclusions can we draw from that? First, Gaskin doesn’t have a serious breakaway speed. He can take one to the house occasionally, but it isn’t his game. But also, it would indicate that there are multiple tacklers present when he’s contacted. He’s evading one tackle, but succumbing to a subsequent one. Not enough defenders are being blocked out of the play.

Advanced stats courtesy of SIS Data Hub Pro

Pass game

In 2020, Dolphins signal-callers actually weren’t pressured at a very high rate. The Dolphin’s pressure rate of 33.1% came in at 19th in the NFL. There was an improvement in pass blocking, but another explanation for that is how quickly the quarterbacks got the ball out. Ryan Fitzpatrick had the 2nd lowest time to throw with 2.38 seconds and Tua came in at 7th with 2.55 seconds. On a lot of plays, the ball was out before any rusher had the opportunity to pressure the quarterback.

This chart might feel like a slight to Tua, but it isn’t. The vast majority of QB’s have a substantial drop-off in production when they’re pressured-its completely normal. In fact, Tua’s drop-off is less substantial than a lot of other quarterbacks. His unpressured QB rating of 93.5 came in at 27th (min of 200 attempts) and his pressured QB rating of 67.2 was 21st in the NFL-ahead of Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, and the ageless Tom Brady.

Though the fact remains that the offense’s production will drop when Tua is pressured. It will especially drop when he’s pressured and forced to shuffle away from defenders before making a throw. Tua is a rhythm passer and when he’s moved off his spot, his accuracy takes a major hit. The more time he has in a clean pocket, the more success Tua will have in 2021.

Advanced stats courtesy of SIS Data Hub Pro