The Miami Dolphins drafted offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft to bolster their trenches headed into this season.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with too many injuries, and protecting the Dolphins' franchise quarterback is the No. 1 priority.
🎥 Jonah Savaiinaea on being drafted by the Miami Dolphins: “As soon as I seen a Florida number I thought Tua… Tua being a [Polynesian] QB, God never makes mistakes. He wants me to block for my people.” (@MiamiDolphins) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/YJKrrea7Rk
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) April 27, 2025
Savaiinaea brings versatility to Miami's offensive line as he started 36 games across three years at the University of Arizona at three different positions along the offensive line.
The Wildcat played 16 games at right tackle, 15 games at right guard, and five games at left tackle.
Savaiinaea earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors in 2022 and 2023, and All-Big 12 Honors in 2024 when Arizona made the conference move.
In 2024, Savaiinaea led Arizona with an offensive grade of 75.9 per PFF, and in his 738 snaps played, he allowed just four sacks, two quarterback hits, and 10 hurries.
The Wildcats' offensive lineman has continued that success through the beginning of his first offseason in the NFL, reportedly impressing media and his offensive line coach in Miami.
"You see he's a big-body guy that's really explosive, that can run - heavy handed - can anchor the pocket, but explosive in the run game," Butch Barry said.
University of Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (OL36) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.
Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images
Savaiinaea's rare combination of size and athleticism has been most impressive early on. The offensive lineman excels as a run blocker with his wide frame and sound footwork, and his pass protection is better on the inside as a guard.
The Arizona product could be the Dolphins' potential starter in 2025 at one of the guard positions if he continues his impressive offseason performance.
The Miami Herald's Omar Kelly noted that although Savaiinaea has impressed so far, it's hard to learn too much from the players in the trenches until they reach training camp and practice with pads.
However, Kelly named Savaiinaea as his most impressive rookie so far. Fellow Dolphins' offensive lineman James Daniels has also been impressed with Savaiinaea's eagerness to learn.
"He's always texting me, he's always texting other players asking for advice," Daniels said. "He's always working after practice. Pretty excited to see his development."
The Dolphins will learn more about their second-round pick when training camp gets underway in July, but early reports on Savaiinaea are a welcoming sign in Miami.
