Savaiinaea's Number Change a Sign Of Things To Come?

Amid minor shakeups on the Miami Dolphins' offensive line, Jonah Savaiinaea received a number change that hopefully could be a sign of things to come for the second-year lineman.

71 was Savaiinaea's number during his three years with the Arizona Wildcats before he was drafted by the Dolphins in 2025. However, that number had been used by Kion Smith since 2023, so Savaiinaea went with 72 for his rookie season, which was anything but perfect.

With Smith being released on June 15, Savaiinaea has gone back to 71. That opened up 72 for Gottlieb Ayedze, who signed with Miami on June 17 and wore the same number when he played for the University of Maryland.

The switch back to 71 for Savaiinaea hopefully could be a good omen for him recapturing his college form. He'll be part of an offensive line that needs to, among other things, protect their new quarterback, Malik Willis, while creating lanes for their star running back, De'Von Achane.

Turning The Page On 2025 For Good

After his debut season, it makes sense to cut as many ties as possible. After playing mostly on the right side (guard and tackle) at Arizona, he was moved to left guard in Miami. As it turned out, he wasn't the anchor on the left side of the line that the Dolphins had hoped for.

Savaiinaea started every game for the Dolphins in 2025, recording 982 snaps. But according to Pro Football Focus, he earned a single-season grade of 28.4 — not only dead last out of 81 qualified starting guards but the lowest single-season grade for a starting guard ever.

His 14.1 pass block grade also was the worst out of that group, alongside being responsible for eight sacks. To compare, Denver's Quinn Meinerz was the highest-rated guard with an overall grade of 89 and a pass block grade of 69.3.

Going Back To The Past For 2026

For the 2026 season, it should be back to basics. With Kadyn Proctor set to be the anchor at left guard, Savaiinaea will be moving to right guard. For the Dolphins, this move will hopefully unlock the player they saw in college.

PFF gave Savaiinaea much higher numbers during the 2024 season at Arizona — a 75.9 overall grade and 82.7 pass block grade, only allowing four sacks and committing three penalties in 738 snaps.

His draft profile was full of positives, highlighting his overall frame and surprising speed, as he ran a 4.95 40-yard dash. His density was, and still is, his main positive that can help him stop attackers in their tracks. He's strong, but his upper-body strength especially helps him shove opponents around.

Savaiinaea was deemed a good backup with the potential to develop into a starter, but there was early skepticism that he couldn't perform to the best of his abilities outside of right guard. That may have been proven right early in his NFL career, but he'll have a chance to redeem himself at his natural position.

Some issues he's had in the NFL were also warned about before he was drafted, including the inability to bend, stiff footwork, and a lack of overall leverage. Still, the main message was that these issues can be corrected in due time. Moving him back to the position he's familiar with, and maybe even giving him back 71, can possibly expedite that.

PLAYING THE NUMBERS GAME

Savaiinaea becomes the fourth returning Dolphins player to switch numbers for the 2026 season.

He joined two fellow 2026 draft picks — Kenneth Grant, who is now 78 after being 90 as a rookie, and Ollie Gordon, now wearing 0 after being 31 last year — along with cornerback Storm Duck, who moved from 36 to 29.