The AFC’s rookie and young-line storylines are already starting to take shape in camp, and a few key offensive linemen and pass rushers are giving us an early look at how the battles are developing.
In Miami, Dolphins guard Jonah Savaiinaea is coming off a rougher transition than he probably wanted in his first NFL season, moving from right guard to left guard. But his first preseason game offered a cleaner snapshot of what the Dolphins had been seeing in practice. Savaiinaea stood out in both pass protection and the run game, and he even delivered a pancake block that head coach Jeff Hafley replayed for the team.
“I’m proud of not only myself but us as a unit,” Savaiinaea said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “To be able to go out there and show in a game what I’ve been showing in practice was great. After that game, watching myself, I was like, ‘I never done that in college.”
Over with the Jets, left tackle Olu Fashanu had plenty of respect for first-round edge rusher David Bailey, and for good reason. Fashanu said Bailey’s burst off the snap is the kind of trait that immediately puts pressure on offensive tackles.
“ He has a really quick get-off, ” Fashanu said, via the team’s website. “ He has no wasted movement with his first step, so he’s really closing ground quickly.
I think that’s what makes him different. ”
Bailey, for his part, isn’t pretending the expectations around him are small. As the No. 2 overall pick, he knows exactly what comes with the job, even if he’s trying not to let it sit on his shoulders.
“ I wouldn’t say I feel pressure, but it’s in the back of your mind, ” Bailey said. “ You’re the No. 2 pick and there are high expectations from the fans and also from teammates and staff and everything. I try not to let that get to me.”
He also made it clear he doesn’t see himself as just a pass-rush specialist. Bailey wants his presence to show up in other ways, too, especially as a young player trying to set the tone in the locker room.
“ Obviously, they selected me for my pass rush ability, ” Bailey said, “ but also, man, I want to bring a lot of energy to the team. Being a younger guy, I feel like it’s my responsibility to bring a lot of juice. ”
In New England, Patriots left tackle Will Campbell is approaching the position with the mindset of a technician, working to mix up his looks so rushers can’t simply key in on one answer. He described the matchup as a back-and-forth test of planning and counterpunching.
“It’s a chess match between a tackle and an edge rusher. They have a plan, we have a plan, and it’s about who can disrupt the other’s plan.
That’s just something I’m trying to do and I’ve still got a long way to go to be where I want to be,” Campbell said, via the team website. “It’s kind of like a pitcher.
If you know the pitcher is going to throw a fastball every time, more than likely, you’re going to hit it. So, trying to keep people on their toes.”
In Other News...
Dolphins Offensive Line Is Turning Heads Before A Bigger Test Arrives
The Dolphins starting offensive line has started to settle in just as the preseason ramps up, and the early signs have been encouraging. Limited reps against the Washington Commanders offered a first look, and the group carried that momentum into later practices, where Jonah Savaiinaea and Austin Jackson drew praise for both run blocking and pass protection. For a unit that has been under the microscope all summer, showing clean work in practice matters as much as any single snap.
Behind the starters, the depth chart is also taking shape in a way Miami needs it to, especially with the bigger tests still ahead. Caeden Wallace has been standing out since the trade, giving the Dolphins a useful backup option while the coaches sort through the rest of the interior mix. And with Jamaree Salyer now out for the season, the room has even less margin for error, which only raises the importance of every strong practice rep between now and the next real game. [Read more 🡒]
Quinn Ewers Suddenly Faces A Real Dolphins Question
The Dolphins got their first preseason look at 2026 in a loss to Washington, and the more revealing part may have been what happened behind the starter. Quinn Ewers, working through a groin injury, never found much rhythm in the opener, finishing with one completion on eight throws for 27 yards and an interception as Miami continued sorting out the backup quarterback picture behind Malik Willis.
For a team trying to build around Willis and clarify its long-term depth chart, Ewers uneven showing adds another layer to a decision that already mattered. Preseason is still early, and one game is only one game, but Miami now has a real question to answer about how much trust it can place in Ewers if it needs him to be more than just an arm in camp. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Keep Sending A Clear Message About Their Pass Rush Depth
The Dolphins are again adding to their edge-rush group as they continue to sort through the bottom of the roster ahead of Preseason Week 2. Seth Coleman-Lyles is back in the picture, bringing some familiarity to a unit that has seen a steady stream of recent signings and some notable absences along the defensive line as Miami keeps looking for workable depth.
Coleman-Lyles has already spent time with the Seahawks and Colts, and his return gives the Dolphins another body to evaluate in camp as they try to stabilize a position that can change quickly in August. For Miami, the move fits a broader pattern of keeping the competition open and making sure there are enough options on hand if the defensive front is tested again in the coming days. [Read more 🡒]