Ranking Dolphins OL Most Likely to Win Protector of the Year

The NFL is introducing a new end-of-season award in 2025, the Protector of the Year. The award will be given to the league’s best offensive lineman, who will be selected by a panel of former offensive linemen. 

The Miami Dolphins aren’t exactly known for stellar blocking, and it’s hard to imagine one of their current blockers winning the award. Still, let’s take a look at Miami’s projected starters up front to see which ones would be most likely to take home the award. 

These rankings are from the least to most likely to win. 

Ranking Dolphins OL to win Protector of the Year 

5. Jonah Savaiinaea, Guard 

Savaiinaea’s placement here has nothing to do with his talent or potential. It seems almost impossible for a rookie to come in and win such an award. Offensive line is one of the most challenging transitions from college to the pros, and Savaiinaea will need some time to settle in. 

Additionally, Savaiinaea is at a disadvantage playing at guard, which is typically viewed as a less important position. While having some former offensive linemen on the panel might mitigate this bias, it wouldn’t be shocking if tackles dominate this award for a few years. 

Savaiinaea projects as a solid starter and as an upgrade for the Dolphins, but he doesn’t quite have the ceiling to be named as the league’s best pass protector, especially as a rookie. 

4. Austin Jackson, Tackle 

Despite having the advantage of playing tackle, Austin Jackson is a massive long shot to win this award. Jackson has become a solid player through the years, but he’s still a below-average pass protector in a scheme that protects its linemen like no other. 

Jackson gave up 15 pressures in just eight games last season, with seven coming against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. To Jackson’s credit, he’s improved quite a bit from his first two seasons when he gave up 38 and 49 pressures, respectively. 

Most of Jackson’s value comes in the running game, but that likely won’t mean much when considering him for “Protector of the Year.” 

Jackson is quite important to Miami’s offense, but he’s not positioned well for this award. 

3. James Daniels, Guard 

If this were a straight ranking of Miami’s offensive linemen, Daniels would be at least one spot higher on this list. He was the team’s most expensive offseason signing and has a pedigree of success from his time with the Steelers and Bears. 

Daniels is a sturdy pass protector and solid run blocker. There’s nothing that will wow you on tape, but he’s incredibly consistent at a position that has gotten a lot of flak in South Florida during the past few years. 

The reason Daniels isn’t higher on this list is because he plays guard and because he’s coming off a significant injury. Daniels is still “working back” from his Achilles tear and doesn’t seem fair to expect him to be perfect right away this year. 

2. Patrick Paul, Tackle 

Paul has a lot going for him despite lacking name recognition and a proven track record. 

Those things will likely prevent Paul from even sniffing the award conversation this season, but a version of Paul that reaches his ceiling could compete for the award in future years. 

Paul plays tackle and has the flashy skill set of an offensive lineman that can stand out to the masses. He’s gigantic, runs out into space to pancake smaller defenders, and has the length to match top-flight pass rushers on an island. 

Those are all the ingredients of a player who could earn national attention as a blocker. Obviously, Paul still has a long way to go in his development. His rookie season showed some promise but was mainly a mixed bag. 

1. Aaron Brewer, Center 

Miami’s free agent class from last season included several high-level contributors, and Brewer has a solid argument as the best of the bunch. 

He started all 17 games and allowed just 14 pressures, a career low. While he was solid in pass protection, Brewer was a menace in the running game. The Dolphins used his impressive athletic skill set to get him a lot of highlight-level plays on the second level. 

Brewer playing center likely will give him a leg up on many of the guards he’s competing against, too. That position has become more valued over the years, thanks to players like Jason Kelce drawing attention to it. 

Brewer is the Dolphins’ best offensive lineman on tape, and he has enough flashiness in his game to make him the team’s best contender for this award. 

Recent Former Dolphins Who Could Have Won or Been Considered

As mentioned above, the Dolphins’ offensive line hasn’t exactly been a pillar of strong play in recent seasons. However, former left tackle Terron Armstead was widely regarded as one of the league’s best offensive linemen. 

The tricky part with Armstead is finding a season when he could have won the award in Miami. His play was always up to snuff, but he didn’t play a single full season with the Dolphins. 

Armstead’s 15 starts from last season were the most of his Dolphins career, but he was arguably playing his worst football last season, as he battled through lower-body injuries that clearly hindered him at times. 

His best season on tape was probably 2023, as he allowed just six pressures and was a high-end run blocker. Plus, Miami’s overall offensive success likely would have put him on the national radar. 

However, he played in just 10 games, which doesn’t quite feel like enough for him to win what is essentially the MVP award for offensive linemen. 

Armstead was talented enough to win Protector of the Year, but he just couldn’t stay healthy enough to put an entire season of stellar play together.

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