One of the Dolphins’ most important young players may finally be turning the corner — teammates and coaches alike are not surprised because of one major thing
The Dolphins spent big to fix one of their biggest sore spots and they’re finally seeing some dividends.
The Miami Dolphins‘ offensive spark has been provided on the ground. Center Aaron Brewer is collecting recognition for his play, and second-year offensive tackle Patrick Paul routinely gets his flowers for the leap in play he’s put on display as a first-year starter. But the other pieces of s unit solidifying their play is a big piece of this puzzle. The man who plays between Brewer and Paul, rookie Jonah Savaiinaea included.
Savaiinaea was a major investment by Miami this offseason — the team traded their third-round draft choice to the Las Vegas Raiders in order to move up in the second round and draft Savaiinaea in the top-40 overall picks. His last three games have been his best to date. And for those who have seen him in the building this season, the growth is not a surprise.
After a rough start, Dolphins rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea’s behind-the-scenes work is starting to show
“(Jonah)’s been very impressionable these past few weeks in the run game, in the pass game. I think he’s upped his game a lot from I guess you could say the first half of this season. He’s been staying here late. He’s been doing a lot of things that have been unnoticed that I think I’ve been able to see, been one of the only guys to be able to see as he’s taking care of his body, as he’s watching film, as he’s doing his own walkthroughs in the indoor. I think seeing something like that from a rookie who’s doing veteran-like things, that’s some pretty good things that I have to look forward to with someone like him.”
— Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on rookie Jonah Savaiinaea’s recent development
The Dolphins have rode their line and the run game to a 4-game winning streak heading into Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’ll have their next statement opportunity in that game if they’re able to play impactful football at the line of scrimmage in the cold. And Savaiinaea will play a big part trying to block Cam Heyward and others. He was an early sore spot this season, learning to play left guard for the first time as a rookie after manning both tackle spots and right guard at the college level for Utah.
The decision to play Savaiinaea at left guard was one that inspired a lot of opinions. And his early struggles only fueled the concern. But his growth the past month wasn’t seen coming by just his quarterback. Savaiinaea’s offensive line coach offered major praise on Friday.
“The way he approaches his job is awesome. He is very focused. He is a very serious individual and he approaches it in the right manner. That hit me from OTAs…that has not changed with him. There has been a consistency in that and those type of things matter as you go through the year and all of a sudden there’s a consistency to that approach. And now you start to see things get better. Run game, understanding the offense better, understanding his angles, understanding his leverages, understanding the speed and tempo before contact with the different alignments and different players,” said offensive line coach Butch Barry on Friday.
“Same thing with the pass game. Understanding what your range is with your hands. How your feet have to be connected, how your feet have to be placed when I am in contact. How I have to react to the movement after contact. All those things, I can talk about until I’m blue in the face. But he has to FEEL that.”
Savaiinaea has, indeed, been feeling it. He currently ranks third in the NFL among rookie guards in snaps taken (761) entering into Week 15 this season. Over his first seven starts, Savaiinaea was credited with 3 sacks allowed and 21 total pressures on 272 pass blocking reps. His last six games, the pressures allowed has dropped to 12 — including four in the last three games. What’s more, you see examples of Savaiinaea successfully climbing to the second level and harassing linebackers to help spring big runs in space.
The product isn’t finished yet. Far from it. But Savaiinaea’s play has taken a jump — a development that doesn’t seem to surprise those in the building who have seen him work behind the scenes. And no matter what direction this organization goes in the next few seasons, Savaiinaea’s growth, development, and commitment to his craft could help. It’s nice to know he’s made of the right stuff. And it’s even better to see him start to see some returns for his effort.
Dolphins rookie Jonah Savaiinaea’s 2025 season to date
- 13 starts
- 761 offensive snaps
- 33 total pressures allowed (5 sacks credited)
- 2 penalties
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