Breaking Down Latest Dolphins OL Updates

Jackson ended last season on injured reserve with a knee injury and has missed significant time in past seasons. He played in just two games during the 2022 season due to an ankle injury and spent time on injured reserve with a foot injury in 2020. 

The last starter worth mentioning is left tackle Patrick Paul, who has looked incredibly promising throughout training camp practices. He’s taking over for Terron Armstead, who retired this offseason, after the Dolphins drafted him in the second round of the 2024 draft. 

Paul had an up-and-down rookie season, but he showed a lot of improvement from his tape at the University of Houston. By all accounts, he’s carried that momentum into training camp. 

Dolphins Offensive Line Depth 

Given the Dolphins' recent history with offensive line injuries, it’s important to keep an eye on the team’s depth. One interesting development during training camp has been the emergence of Kion Smith. 

Smith has spent most of training camp working at guard, but he worked at tackle for the first time Saturday, and he looked promising during the 1-on-1 period. Smith tore his ACL during the Dolphins’ first preseason game last year and missed the entire 2024 season. 

The Dolphins will need someone to be the primary backup swing tackle, so Smith getting kicked back outside is worth noting. The other players who could compete for that spot are free agent addition Larry Borom and 2023 seventh-round pick Ryan Hayes, neither of whom has looked overly impressive so far in camp.

Boron has a lot of starting experience (27 games in four seasons) from his time with the Bears, but he mostly struggled when asked to play on an island. Hayes has yet to play on offense in the regular season. 

Lastly, Liam Eichenberg remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Although fans like to grovel about Eichenberg’s play, he was slated to fill a versatile backup role up front. 

The team brought in veteran Daniel Brunskill to help plug some gaps, but don’t count out 2024 UDFA signing Andrew Meyer from earning a primary backup role on the interior. He’s performed well during camp so far, and the team liked him enough to roster him for the entire 2024 season.