Breaking Down New O-Line Coach's Enlightening Comment About Jonah Savaiinaea

The Miami Dolphins are hoping the selection of Kadyn Proctor with the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft takes care of one guard spot with a possible ripple effect benefiting the other guard spot.

That ripple effect is the move of 2025 second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea, the side he played during his career at the University of Arizona before the Dolphins switched him over to the left side as a rookie last year.

Looking back, and even at the time, it was a strange decision by the Dolphins because they allowed James Daniels to stay on the right side last training camp even though the move to the other side probably would have been simpler for a veteran like Daniels than a rookie like Savaiinaea.

"I think he's going to be better and have more confidence switching back over to the right," new offensive line coach Zach Yenser said Tuesday when the Dolphins offensive position coaches all spoke to the media for the first time in 2026. "He has a lot of built-up reps on the right side. And that's what we're going to do right now. I know Sully (GM Jon-Eric Sullivan) made that comment that we're going to keep Kadyn at left and move (Jonah). That was a big part of the whole draft process too. That was a conversation we had with Jonah when we first got here of like, hey man, you played on the right side. I mean, he was excited to be able to have an opportunity if we drafted the right guy to move back over to the right side."

Savaiinaea's struggles as a rookie have been well documented, lowlighted by Pro Football Focus (not the final authority, but still) handing him the lowest grade of the 79 NFL guards with enough snaps to qualify for evaluation.

SAVAIINAEA'S SELLING POINTS

Yenser, who joined the Dolphins this offseason after spending the past two seasons with the Houston Texans, said his film evaluation of Savaiinaea's rookie year showed him a lot of things to like.

"His movement skills for his size, it shows up on tape," Yenser said. "The biggest thing for him is just he has to he has to stay connected to the ground and build off because there was a lot of good things his rookie year. I mean, obviously, he switched over to the left side.

"He needs to build on his run blocking. I thought he got a lot better. As the year went on in the run blocking and the run blocking is a lot of feel stuff, I thought he did it as the year went on. In pass protection, we're just working on his demeanor and the timing of his punch and just being connected Just like the same thing, he's playing guard. He's in charge of the depth of the pocket and just say to make these guys run around you and through you and not through you inside of you."

With Proctor, All-Pro center Aaron Brewer, former first-round pick Austin Jackson and emerging left tackle Patrick Paul, the Dolphins have the potential for a solid offensive line, perhaps more, if they can find an answer at right guard.

The hope clearly is that player is Savaiinaea, and the hope is a return to the right side will make the difference for him in Year 2.

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