The Miami Dolphins have enjoyed the fruits of their investment along the offensive line thus far this season. The unit is still a work in progress and there are still some lapses that should become less frequent as the group plays together more and develops more as NFL talents. But generally speaking, this group is head and shoulders above what we saw last year from the Dolphins’ offensive line.
And given just how much the team chose to address the group this past offseason, that’s terrific news. Imagine if Miami had spent three of their first seven picks on the offensive line (including two top-40 picks) and dropped a $30M contract for yet another starter and the unit was awful.
But what’s most promising aside of the youth of the group is that we still haven’t seen the final product all on the field at the same time. Because Robert Hunt, Miami’s second-round offensive tackle, was only added to the mix for the Dolphins when their first-round offensive tackle, Austin Jackson, went onto injured reserve with a foot injury.
It’s understandable why Miami had apprehension of putting all those pieces on the field together to start. That would have given Miami three rookie starters along the offensive line — which is a big ask.
But now, with both Jackson and Hunt having gotten their feet wet with NFL play, Miami should be less apprehensive about playing the tackle bookends (along with RG Solomon Kindley) when Jackson is back into playing shape. When will that be? It’s hard to say. But what we do know is that when the Dolphins placed Jackson on injured reserve, he would be out a minimum of three weeks. That decision came on October 9th.
Jackson could be on the cusp of a return if his rehab is going well. But the Dolphins have largely kept everyone in the dark about Jackson’s status, although head coach Brian Flores did offer this insight today during his press availability.
"He's doing a good job in rehab and treatment and doing everything he can to get back," #Dolphins coach Brian Flores on rookie LT Austin Jackson's rehab of his foot injury. Jackson is on IR.
— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) October 29, 2020
Is it enough to give us some direction his availability? No, of course not. But the fact that the door hasn’t been slammed shut on a Jackson return offers hope that we’ll actually get to see it materialize. And if we do, we’ll hopefully get our first taste of what Miami’s remodeled offensive line will look like if everyone develops as planned.