Jonah Savaiinaea’s rookie season gave the Miami Dolphins a number they can’t ignore.
Pro Football Focus’ review of its lowest-graded seasons in the history of its data collection put Savaiinaea’s 28.4 grade in 2025 at the very bottom of the pile. It was the worst mark for a guard, the worst mark for any offensive lineman, and somehow the lowest-graded season of any offensive player regardless of position.
That kind of finish leaves no room for spin. For a Dolphins rebuild built around young players earning trust in starting roles, Savaiinaea is not there yet.
The numbers tell the story in two separate ways. His 37.3 run-blocking grade was the second-worst in the league, but the pass-protection work was even more alarming.
Savaiinaea’s 14.1 PFF pass protection grade is the worst in PFF’s archive by a wide margin, and it only looks a little less brutal because he finished the season on a late surge. For much of the year, that grade sat in the single digits.
The context matters, too. Savaiinaea had to move from tackle to guard, and that transition clearly wasn’t smooth. But the tape still showed a player overwhelmed by the speed and physicality of the modern game, and that’s the part Miami has to fix if it wants him to become part of the long-term answer.
Right now, he looks like the weak link on the line. Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson have both shown flashes at tackle, rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor is described as as physically gifted as anyone at his position in the NFL, and center Aaron Brewer has already received a contract extension.
Miami isn’t going to walk away from a player with Savaiinaea’s physical tools, especially with the new coaching staff focused on tearing things down to the studs and giving itself more time for individual development. But after a rookie year this rough, the bar for 2026 is simple: don’t make the same kind of history again.
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National Outlook On Dolphins Rebuild Is Even Worse Than Fans Feared
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What stands out is how wide the range of expectations has become. The preview video pegs Miami with a ceiling of seven wins and a floor of one, while panelist Bucky Brooks was the lone voice projecting the Dolphins to clear the 4.5-win total set by oddsmakers. It is the kind of early forecast that says more about the uncertainty around this transition than any finished judgment on where the Dolphins are headed. [Read more 🡒]