What Draft Analysts Said About the Savaiinaea Move

The Dolphins entered the draft in need of a starting guard, and draft analysts believe they got it right with Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea early in the second round. 

“He can play outside, he can play inside,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “He tested very well -— ran a 4.95 in the 40-yard dash, so he can really scoot. To me, you get him, physical in the run game, but you don't lose all that movement when you get out to the perimeter like the Dolphins like to do.” 

Jeremiah added that Savaiinaea reminds him of former Idaho lineman Mike Iupati, who became a two-time All-Pro after being selected 17th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2010. 

“That inside-outside versatility — big, strong, powerful men who can move,” Jeremiah said. 

While Iupati played nearly every snap of his career at left guard, Savaiinaea enters the NFL with much more positional flexibility. He played 16 games at right tackle, 15 at right guard, and five at left tackle throughout his time at Arizona. 

Moving from Tackle to Guard

Savaiinaea is expected to compete for a starting job on a Miami offensive line that needs a boost after finishing 21st in rushing yards per game last season. Not only is Savaiinaea an upgrade in talent, but he also fits with Miami’s wide-zone scheme. 

“(Miami) needed an athlete, a better athlete than (Georgia guard) Tate Ratledge,” NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein said. “He’s not an outside zone guy. So, you gotta know your running schemes where you’re going to project a guard and you want to make sure they fit.” 

Ratledge was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection with the Georgia Bulldogs. He was on the board when Miami moved up for Savaiinaea, but played the majority of his snaps at right guard. 

“Teams really prefer, when they can, to take a guy with tackle experience and move them inside to guard because typically they're going to be better pass protectors,” Zierlein explained. “I think [Savaiinaea] is a steady player, and what teams really like is tackles to guards, because with so many sub-package rushing situations, you want to make sure you are much better in terms of pass protection inside.”

“He’s dealing with the quick guys in the sub packages,” NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks added. “If there are all the fleet-footed pass rushers, you now have a heavy-handed guard that can deal with the speed and explosiveness.”

The Cost of Getting Their Guy

Miami traded picks 48 (second round), 98 (third round), and 135 (fourth round) to the Raiders for the right to draft Savaiinaea and No. 143 (fifth round). The Dolphins filled a need, but it came at a cost. 

“I hope for the Dolphins fans' sake their trade up means they’ll be getting picks back from Jalen Ramsey/Tyreek Hill [trades] today,” CBS Sports’ Mike Renner wrote. ”Love Savaiinaea, but they have way too many needs to give away top 100 picks.”

While some might see it as a reach, the Dolphins didn’t hesitate to act when they saw an opportunity to secure their guy.

“I think the Dolphins gave up a lot to move up here, but Savaiinaea could be considered one of the best guards left on the board,” SB Nation’s Joseph Acosta wrote. “He’s got long arms, moves really well in a phone booth, and has the power to finish blocks. 

“The Dolphins need some aggression up front, and Savaiinaea fits that bill.”

More Miami Dolphins coverage: