The Miami Dolphins have, through the first four games of the 2020 season, enjoyed stability along the offensive line. Miami trotted out the same starting five for each of their first four games this season and, when paired with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s quick-game passing, offered much improved pass protection for the Dolphins versus what the team received last year from a rag-tag group of players. But the continuity up front is over for the foreseeable future — as the Dolphins announced this afternoon that they’d placed rookie left tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve.
Jackson, who was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, suffered a foot injury that ultimately prompted him to step out of the Seattle game in Week 4 after trying to play through the injury. What we know now is that Jackson’s injury is a more long-term issue and while Brian Flores didn’t exactly say it, it feels as though this may be a longer term issue than the three week window that teams are afforded to work with in 2020 as it pertains to pulling players off of injured reserve.
Flores declined to put a timeline on Jackson’s return this afternoon when talking to the media and the team will now have to look to reshuffle the offensive line to find the new best combination of five players as they pursue their second win of the season this week against San Francisco and beyond.
The easiest personnel move would be to elevate Julien Davenport to the starting left tackle and leave everything else status quo. But if Miami is going to see Jackson miss long-term time, it may benefit the team to reshuffle the deck and find a spot for the 39th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Robert Hunt. Hunt is presumably in line to be the long-term right tackle for Miami — but the team was understandably apprehensive about playing three rookies on their offensive line. With Jackson out for the foreseeable future, it may open the door for right tackle Jesse Davis to swing to the left side and put Hunt next to standout guard Solomon Kindley — the other rookie starting on Miami’s line.
For now, Miami will embrace the gamesmanship of the unknown. We’ll find out what the new line looks like on Sunday when Miami takes the field to play San Francisco.
