The Miami Dolphins have long been chided for their inattention to the offensive line. It's not that Chris Grier would ignore the group entirely; it's that his gambles frequently were on players with lengthy injury histories. Then they'd play a handful of games (or snaps) for the Dolphins, wind up on the injured list, and we'd be back to watching Liam Eichenberg get ragdolled while Tua Tagovailoa ran for his life.
Thank goodness the tenures of both Eichenberg and Tagovailoa have come to a merciful end. In any case, it was a different second-round pick who came to South Florida with so much hype that he was bound to disappoint, though few expected the huge learning curve that ensued. Of course, I'm talking about 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea. The 6'5", 326-pound bull-in-a-china-shop was handed a starting role at left guard immediately.
This was despite Savaiinaea spending his college career primarily at right guard and right tackle, with some games at left tackle sprinkled in. He was expected to learn on the job at a new position and perform adequately. For some players, it works out. For him, it did not. That's likely the reason Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley quickly moved him back to his natural position — a decision that has several key members of the Dolphins taking notice.
Miami Dolphins guard Jonah Savaiinaea is turning heads in his return to the right side of the line
As much as Savaiinaea struggled at left guard, the man in closest proximity to him all season long — center Aaron Brewer — flourished. Brewer's taken on a leadership role since inking a deal with Miami ahead of the 2024 season, and due to his own versatility, he expected Savaiinaea to be able to acclimate. Surely he tried to assist his teammate and keep his confidence up as he experienced rookie growing pains.
Brewer himself entered the league as an undrafted, unheralded, and undersized rookie. He carved a role out of the mud, and part of that was his ability to play multiple positions. Seeing his maligned teammate return to a familiar spot has changed his perspective about switching positions entirely.
“[Jonah Savaiinaea] is very comfortable in that right guard spot. Me pressing — like being a guy that played multiple positions — I didn’t think it was that big of a difference, but him going back to that right guard spot, it looks like you can tell he’s a right guard."
The Savaiinaea love didn't end there, however. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was also asked about what he's seen from Savaiinaea in his return to the right side. With the obvious caveat that offensive linemen are impossible to evaluate in "pajamas" — as Dan Campbell calls them — there's still something to be gleaned. It's safe to say what Slowik has seen has been overwhelmingly positive.
"[Savaiinaea's] just confident in what he’s doing. I do think there’s a little bit of riding the bike. He did the right side for so long, got used to the left, now going back to the right. He was excited about it. But there was a little bit of ‘Okay, is this going to be right away? How long is this going to take?’ And I think he picked up the feel for it really quickly which has been fun to see.”
Some may be wary, and that's alright. There's definitely something to take away even when the players aren't allowed to make contact. Whether it's technique, fundamentals, or general fluidity, discomfort is visible even without pads. If you're a righty, try writing with your left hand. Not only would it be incredibly difficult (minus you ambidextrous folks out there), but you would look uncomfortable doing it.
If teammates and coaches are noticing a change, fans can be cautiously optimistic that it'll translate to the games that count. Now I'm not saying Jonah Savaiinaea is a sure thing, but writing him off was premature. At 22 years old and with all the athletic ability and size needed to be a stud offensive lineman, he's too valuable to give up on at this juncture.
He is also a perfect fit for the culture Jon-Eric Sullivan is trying to build. From the moment he uttered the words "fast gets slow but big doesn't get small," it became a referendum on how the team approached the offseason. Look no further than Sullivan's first draft pick, Kadyn Proctor.
Between Proctor and Savaiinaea, the Dolphins might have a gigantic guard duo for the foreseeable future, or a mountainous right side if he winds up at right tackle eventually. In either case, fans could only be so lucky.
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