Dolphins Camp Preview: Offensive Line
The Miami Dolphins made a lot of changes this offseason hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and win a playoff game for the first time since 2000.
The team hired former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its head coach, acquired highly touted offensive players like offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Tyreek Hill, and kept their entire 2021 starting defense together.
In order to prepare fans for a pivotal season, we’ve decided to break down each positional group on the roster by giving an outlook for each player, awarding superlatives, and analyzing key questions.
We continue our series with the offensive line.
DOLPHINS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OUTLOOKS
Terron Armstead
2021 Stats (New Orleans Saints): 8 starts at left tackle, 9 quarterback hurries (per Pro Football Focus), 12 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Armstead was one of Miami’s biggest offseason acquisitions after signing a five-year 87.5 million dollar contract with $43.7 million guaranteed. He will fill Miami’s starting left tackle position this season.
The veteran is a welcome addition to a unit that struggled mightily for most of last season. Armstead will be expected to provide stellar play at left tackle and function as a mentor for a lot of Miami’s younger offensive linemen.
If Armstead can stay on the field and continue to play as he did with the Saints, Miami’s offense will be greatly improved in 2022.
Connor Williams
2021 Stats (Dallas Cowboys): 17 starts at left guard, 11 quarterback hurries, 13 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Williams is another key free agency addition the Dolphins made to bolster their offensive line this offseason.
Although Williams has played all 3,509 of his career snaps at guard, he worked as a center this offseason, meaning he could be Miami’s starting center when the season starts. If Williams does start opening day at center, he would be the fourth different one in four years for Miami.
Williams should help Miami’s running game with his natural power, but he’ll have to cut down on penalties (15 last season) if he wants to go from a solid NFL starter to a potential Pro Bowler.
Robert Hunt
2021 Stats: 17 starts at right guard, 26 quarterback hurries, 31 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Hunt likely will be the only returning Dolphins offensive lineman who isn’t switching positions this season. After playing mostly right tackle as a rookie, it looks like Hunt has found a home at right guard.
Hunt stands to benefit from Mike McDaniel’s outside zone scheme since it is similar to the scheme he played in at Louisiana-Lafayette. He has a chance to prove he can be a long-term starting guard this season, and there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to get better playing in a scheme built for his strengths.
Liam Eichenberg
2021 Stats: 14 starts at left tackle, 3 starts at right tackle, 45 quarterback hurries, 62 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: The Dolphins traded up in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft to select Eichenberg and immediately inserted him as one of the team’s starting tackles. However, his rookie season was fairly underwhelming.
This season, it looks like Eichenberg will have to compete for the team’s starting left guard position during camp. Assuming he wins the job, he’ll get an opportunity to change the negative narrative around his play in a scheme friendly to offensive linemen.
Austin Jackson
2021 Stats: 13 starts at left guard, 3 starts at left tackle, 41 quarterback hurries, 49 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Like Eichenberg, Jackson has had a rocky start to his career. Jackson was selected 18th overall in the 2020 NFL draft but has yet to find his footing at the NFL level.
However, there are some changes working in Jackson’s favor this season. For starters, it’s possible he will be the team’s starting right tackle this season, giving him a fresh start. Additionally, Jackson’s natural athletic ability makes him a perfect fit for Miami’s new run scheme.
If Jackson doesn’t show considerable improvement this season, Miami likely will look to replace him next offseason.
Michael Deiter
2021 Stats: 8 starts at center, 7 quarterback hurries, 10 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Deiter is another young offensive lineman who has bounced around Miami’s line since entering the league. He played left guard his first two seasons but settled into center last year.
Deiter might be on the outside looking in Miami's line with Williams getting reps at center during OTAs. However, Deiter still profiles as a versatile backup who can play center or guard.
Solomon Kindley
2021 Stats: 2 starts at left guard, 6 quarterback hurries, 6 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: After starting 13 games at guard as a rookie, Kindley spent the majority of last season on the bench.
This season, Kindley likely will have to compete for Miami’s left guard position with Eichenberg if he wants to earn a starting spot. If he doesn’t beat out Eichenberg, Kindley will have to prove he’s a better backup guard than some of Miami’s other options to remain on the roster.
Robert Jones
2021 Stats: 1 start at right tackle, 3 games played, 2 quarterback hurries, 3 quarterback pressures
2022 Outlook: Jones signed with the team as a UDFA following the 2021 NFL draft and made the 53-man roster last offseason as a reserve lineman.
He did end up starting at right tackle against the Patriots in Week 18, but he’s currently listed as a guard on Miami’s roster. Jones likely will have to compete to be a primary backup during training camp, which his position versatility sets him up well for.
Greg Little
2021 Stats: Did not play
2022 Stats: Little was acquired from the Panthers in a trade last August but did not see the field last season. He was inactive for 10 games and then was placed on season-ending IR in November.
Little never found consistent success in Carolina after they selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He’ll have to compete for a backup tackle spot during training camp, and he’s got a lot of players to beat out.
Larnel Coleman
2021 Stats: Did not play
2022 Outlook: Coleman is another player who will have to compete for a backup tackle spot during training camp.
The Dolphins selected Coleman in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft out of UMass. He played in 40 games in college with 29 starts, including 16 at left tackle and 13 at right tackle. Coleman had solid testing numbers coming out of college, meaning he might be a fit for McDaniel’s scheme.
Kion Smith
2021 Stats: Did not play
2022 Outlook: Smith joined the Dolphins last September but didn’t see any game action last season. He went undrafted out of Fayetteville State University and didn’t play during his senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith is another player competing for backup tackle spots, and he likely will get a chance to block on special teams during training camp.
Adam Pankey
2021 Stats: Played one offensive snap
2022 Outlook: Pankey will have to fight for a spot on the 53-man roster during camp. His best shot is to prove he can help block on punts and kickoffs. Most of his NFL experience has come blocking as an extra tight end.
Kellen Diesch
2021 College Stats (Arizona State): 13 starts at left tackle, second-team all-conference selection in 2021
2022 Outlook: Diesch received a large contract for a UDFA after signing with the Dolphins following the 2022 NFL draft.
He made 19 straight starts at left tackle for the Sun Devils, but he’ll have to compete with many of the players mentioned above to earn a roster spot. He’s a perfect scheme fit and might do better if moved to guard or center given his length limitations.
Diesch profiles as a player who could stick on the practice squad this season with a strong preseason.
Blaise Andres
2021 College Stats (Minnesota): 9 starts at right guard, 3 at left tackle, and 1 at right tackle
2022 Outlook: Andres is another 2022 UDFA signing for the Dolphins. In college, Andres was a versatile and reliable option for the Golden Gophers.
If he can provide that same level of versatility during training camp, there’s a chance he finds himself on the 53-man roster. However, it’s more likely he’s fighting for a spot on the team’s practice squad.
Cole Banwart
2021 Stats: Did not play
2022 Outlook: Banwart has bounced around different teams’ practice squads since going undrafted out of Iowa in 2021.
Banwart mostly played guard while with the Hawkeyes, meaning he’ll likely have to compete with other interior linemen like Kindley and Deiter.
DOLPHINS OFFENSIVE LINE SUPERLATIVES
Best Pass Blocker: Terron Armstead
Best Run Blocker: Terron Armstead
Breakout Candidate: Robert Hunt
Most Athletic: Austin Jackson
Best Power Blocker: Robert Hunt
KEY DOLPHINS QUESTIONS AT OL
How will the group adapt to Mike McDaniel’s outside zone scheme?
None of Miami’s projected starting offensive linemen played in a heavy outside zone scheme last season. McDaniel’s scheme is known as offensive line-friendly.
Still, this group of linemen will have to make a lot of changes to the way they blocked last season. For a player like Hunt, it might be a tad easier since he’s re-learning a lot of concepts he used during his college career.
Additionally, the outside zone is a scheme that typically leans on the athleticism of its offensive linemen. Someone like Jackson might benefit from the switch and revitalize his career. On the other hand, someone like Eichenberg might struggle because of his athletic limitations.
McDaniel’s scheme is offensive line-friendly, but that doesn’t make it fool-proof. How quickly Miami’s line picks up the scheme and works in tandem with one another will be a huge factor in how the team starts the season.
How will the players in new positions adapt?
This question adds another layer to the adjustments some of Miami’s linemen will have to make this season.
Williams worked at the center position in the offseason and could be the team’s starter there in Week 1. That’s a position Williams hasn’t played since entering the NFL. The center position requires not only physical adjustments but also mental adjustments, making the switch easier said than done.
Eichenberg played tackle in college and started 17 games at tackle last season. This year, he’s likely going to compete for the team’s starting left guard spot. Eichenberg could benefit from the switch since it will cover his lack of length and athletic skill set. He worked out at guard during training camp last year, meaning the learning curve might not be overly steep.
Lastly, Jackson might end up being the team’s right tackle this season. This comes after he played left tackle in college and his rookie season before he played mostly guard last season. Jackson actually looked better at guard than he did at tackle last season, but the Dolphins are hoping his athletic ability will shine in their new scheme.
Bottom line, Miami likely is betting on a successful NFL guard to become a successful NFL center in one offseason and that two struggling young players will have career years while learning different positions and a new scheme.
How much better will the team be in pass protection this season?
McDaniel’s outside zone scheme should make the offensive linemen's lives easier in the running game, but they will still have to hold their own in pass protection.
The Dolphins allowed the 10th-most pressure in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Reference. Adding players like Armstead and Williams should help fix some of those issues, so it’s hard to imagine Miami’s line not being better than last season.
Armstead has allowed more than 20 pressures just once in the last six years, and Williams had a career-low in pressures allowed last season.
However, Jackson, Eichenberg, and Hunt still will have plenty of reps where they are left on an island and forced to protect on their own. Those three players alone combined for 142 pressures allowed in 2021.
Ideally, the mentorship provided by a strong veteran presence like Armstead and Miami’s new offensive line coach, Matt Applebaum, will help the younger players get better. If they don’t take major jumps in performance this season, the Dolphins’ line still could be a liability this season.
Can the Dolphins find a reliable backup tackle?
Armstead is by far Miami’s best offensive lineman, but he’s never played a full season's worth of games in his NFL career. He played in just eight games last season, marking his fourth season playing 10 or fewer games since becoming a full-time starter in 2014.
It’s safe to assume Armstead will miss a couple of games this season, meaning Miami will need a replacement for him at some point. Jackson could flip over to the left side, but that means Miami will need a replacement at right tackle.
Players like Jones, Coleman, Diesch and Little could be in line to fill that role. The battle for Miami’s primary backup tackle spot could be one of the more important of training camp.
