How Paul, Savaiinaea Are 'Jelling' on O-line

They’re inexperienced, but the left side of the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line makes up for it with physicality and raw potential.

Miami rebuilt the left side with size and strength, drafting 6-7, 326-pound left tackle Patrick Paul last year, then trading up to select 6-4, 326-pound Jonah Savaiinaea early in the second round this year.

Paul explained after an early camp practice how he's going about building chemistry with the guard next to him.

““Me and Jonah, we hang out all the time," Paul said."Throughout the offseason, me and him were here in this building every single day working. So naturally, when you spend that much time together, you’re jelled like one.

“[Savaiinaea’s] a great guy. That’s my brother, so we’re locked in.”

The Dolphins drafted Paul, a three-year starter at Houston, in the second round of the 2025 draft. He started three games as a rookie, primarily backing up left tackle Terron Armstead.

While Paul played only 248 snaps at left tackle, Savaiinaea is sliding to left guard after playing the majority of his snaps at left and right tackle over the previous two seasons at Arizona, per Pro Football Focus. With little experience between the duo, they invested extra time training this offseason so they could be prepared to make an immediate impact up front.

“I’m in my rookie year and he’s a second-year (guy) here, so my mindset was no vacation for me until this is all over,” Savaiinaea said. “So I wanted to stay here, get acclimated to this weather, because everyone has been saying it’s only going to get hotter. Having Pat here all summer, we’ve got to build that chemistry, especially now playing next to him.

“Just building chemistry not only on the field, but off the field and just being able to trust each other.”

Savaiinaea’s Spot on the Line

Two of Miami’s biggest offseason moves were trading up for Savaiinaea and signing former Pittsburgh Steelers guard James Daniels to a three-year contract on the opening days of free agency. While both were always projected to start, there was some debate about where they would line up. 

Daniels, entering his eighth NFL season, has experience at both guard spots and said early in the offseason that he’d be comfortable playing either. Rather than pair the veteran with tackle Patrick Paul, Miami is keeping Daniels on the right side with Savaiinaea moving to left guard — at least for the time being.

“You know, watching TV, you think it’s just going from right to left, but when you actually get into that left stagger and you haven’t been in that stagger in your whole life, it’s a big difference,” Savaiinaea said. “Especially for myself just being able to, like I said, pushing off of my right leg. 

“It’s something I worked on this offseason, just personal stuff, just being able to get my hip mobility better.”

Growing Pains on the Left Side

Mistakes will be expected with an inexperienced duo like Paul and Savaiinaea stepping into the spotlight for the first time, but the coaching staff hopes they don’t dictate the narrative. 

“Like [offensive line] coach Butch [Barry] said, he’d rather see me in a response to adversity, so there are adversities on the field and my biggest challenge is can I respond back to it,” Savaiinaea said when asked about his comfort level at left guard versus right guard. “I have veterans in this room, Liam [Eichenberg], that have played five positions. We’ve got guys like Dan [Brunskill] just got in, ‘AJ’ [Austin Jackson] also played left guard his first year. 

“All those guys, just taking notes from them. They just made it easy when I’m out there.”

Injuries forced Paul into action as the starting right tackle in Week 18 against the New York Jets, but his other two starts were at left tackle. Overall, he allowed 11 quarterback hurries and was penalized five times, ending the season with three penalties in two games.

Despite limited playing time as a rookie, Paul enters his second season focused on learning from each mistake and improving consistently during camp.

“The balance is just knowing that if you do mess up or you make a mistake, knowing where you messed up and knowing how to fix it — and that’s just with fundamentals and technique,” Paul added when asked about his approach to training camp. “If your fundamentals and technique are right, you’re never going to lose.”

With Terron Armstead retired and the job now his, Paul is eager to prove he’s ready to anchor Miami’s offensive line at left tackle.

“This has always been my dream, so every day I come in and I’m excited," he said. "It’s like Groundhog Day; I’m living my dream every day."

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