In 2021, the Dolphins’ most pressing issue was their offensive line, and their inability to keep pressure off the quarterbacks or create holes for the running backs.
Right tackle Jesse Davis, left tackle Liam Eichenberg, and left guard Austin Jackson had poor seasons and were near the top of the list for most pressures allowed. Center Michael Deiter missed most of the season due to injury, but, when he was in, he was just okay.
With that being said, the Dolphins have to address this problem in the offseason, and they may do so by taking another lineman in the draft. In Touchdown Wire’s most recent mock draft, Miami ends up selecting Boston College’s Zion Johnson in the first round.
Here’s what Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield had to say about the selection:
“Another player generating some buzz coming out of the Senior Bowl is Zion Johnson, the Boston College offensive lineman. Johnson saw time at both tackle and guard while playing in Chestnut Hill, and even saw action at center during Senior Bowl practices. For the Miami Dolphins, who need to shore up their offensive line, Johnson could be an immediate contributor at guard. He also projects best to a zone run scheme, something we can anticipate being a huge part of Miami’s playbook next season under incoming head coach Mike McDaniel.”
The Dolphins recently hired Boston College’s offensive line coach Matt Applebaum to fill the same role in Miami, so this move makes a lot of sense. Their offensive line was one of the groups in the conference over the last couple of seasons, as they had multiple All-ACC honorees.
Continuity in coaching and a similar blocking scheme in Miami could allow Johnson to flourish as a guard for the Dolphins and really help out an offensive unit that struggled last season.