Let me take you on what is sure to be the most mundane time-traveling trip of all time. The year is ... 2025. The Miami Dolphins have just signed veteran offensive lineman James Daniels (if only they knew how that would turn out) to man their right guard position in free agency. He joins Aaron Brewer, Patrick Paul, and Austin Jackson as the penciled-in starters for Week 1.
There is a gaping hole at left guard, however, with Liam Eichenberg the leader in the clubhouse before the NFL Draft. That's a disaster waiting to happen. It's okay, though, because the NFL Draft is fast approaching. Even though the Dolphins under Chris Grier have a spotty record drafting offensive linemen, the Dolphins are elite at selling hope.
Come draft day, it was all smiles. Grier made the bold decision to trade up, surrendering the Nos. 48, 98, and 135 picks to the Raiders for the Nos. 37 and 143 selections. With the 37th pick, they drafted the hulking Jonah Savaiinaea. The 6'4", 324-pound guard immediately filled the need at left guard. Dolphins fans rejoiced.
Jonah Savaiinaea named one of three players with most to gain or lose following 2026 NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus
Of course, the honeymoon only lasted until he hit the field. Savaiinaea suffered through what we'll generously call growing pains. Just because he filled a spot on the offensive line doesn't mean he filled it with adequate performance. Pro Football Focus' Ryan Smith summarized Savaiinaea's rookie season with harrowing disregard for Dolphins fans' feelings:
"Savaiinaea struggled mightily as a rookie, posting the lowest PFF overall grade (28.4) for any qualifying offensive lineman in the league. No guard allowed more sacks (eight) or total pressures (45) than Savaiinaea in 2025."
So, you're telling me there's no way to go but up, right? In all seriousness, a player drafted in the top 40 picks of any NFL draft is usually going to get more than one season. That's especially true for Savaiinaea, who received a fully-guaranteed $11.3 million when he inked his rookie deal. Still only 22 years old, Savaiinaea gives the Dolphins' new coaching staff every reason to invest time and effort into developing him.
There is cause for concern, as Smith touches on. With the regime change in Miami, the decision-makers who brought the Arizona Wildcat to Miami are no longer in charge. We saw how that turned out for Grier–McDaniel favorites such as Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and others. It doesn't immediately mean the team will kick every previous player to the curb, but it's not an insignificant factor.
When a general manager selects a player, they are irrevocably tied to them from that point forward. Every bust is attached to their record, making them inclined to hold on to a player as long as possible to try to extract the value they initially saw in them. We've seen notorious failed draft picks (Eichenberg, Cam Smith, Channing Tindall, to name a few) stick around as the Dolphins desperately tried to make them work.
Savaiinaea now finds himself in the unenviable position of being a holdover under a new regime. If everything Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley have been preaching since arriving in Miami proves true, he'll get every opportunity to earn his spot. The safety blanket, however, is no longer. If Savaiinaea doesn't show substantial improvement in the offseason, Sullivan will have zero remorse in cutting bait.