When you lose 19-9 in a game where your offense only crosses midfield a handful of times, it’s usually best to burn the tape and move on.
That may be especially true for the offensive line, where rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor and second-year right guard Jonah Savaiinaea remain key pieces of the Dolphins’ future. While the offense struggled as a whole, player development doesn’t stop because of one ugly afternoon, and that’s especially true for two young guards expected to be part of the foundation
moving forward. Each week, we take a closer look at Proctor and Savaiinaea and examine what analysts are saying about their most recent performances.
Kadyn Proctor
Jonah Savaiinaea
What We Learned
Listen, it was not a good week for the offensive line – if you were hoping for a bounce-back effort after a rough outing against the Patriots, the tape from the Detroit Lions game offered very little comfort. While much of the post-game attention has been directed toward Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson, the entire unit struggled against a physical Detroit front. Alain Poupart over at Sports Illustrated called the offensive line the team’s most disappointing position group based on PFF rankings (I know, I know):
- Brewer is ranked 17th out of 36 qualifying centers.
- Paul is ranked 47th out of 71 tackles.
- Jackson is ranked 71st out of 71 tackles. That’s not great, Bob.
- Proctor is ranked 35th among 75 guards.
- Jonah Savaiinaea is 69th among 75 guards.
For Kadyn Proctor, while it was undeniably a rough afternoon against the Lions, there is still plenty of reason for long-term optimism. His individual tape showed some correctable rookie mistakes, such as getting too flat on a second-quarter power play and completely missing his linebacker assignment. However, he also flashed his high-end potential later in the game by quickly recognizing a slanting defensive tackle on a trap concept and stopping on a dime to seal the block. While there were instances of missing second-level blocks, Proctor still played with physicality and had some highlight blocks. He continues to flash the talent that made him a first-round pick, and his mistakes largely look like growing pains.
The conversation around Jonah Savaiinaea, however, is becoming a bit more concerning. The Lions frequently isolated him in space by putting five men on the line of scrimmage, and Jonah struggled mightily, particularly when giving up inside moves. On one notable power play, indecision caused Jonah to completely pass up his assigned defender, blowing up the timing of the run. After a solid first three weeks of the season, his recent tape has looked a lot like his 2025 rookie struggles, when he ranked last among all guards. While it is still too early to make a definitive call on his career trajectory, it’s fair to ask if he may settle in as a below-average starter rather than the long-term answer we hoped for. Maybe we’ll see more of that early-season tape against the Colts.
The tracker will be updated each week throughout the season. For a more in-depth breakdown of Proctor’s and Savaiinaea’s performance, check out offensive line Coach Eric Smith’s film analysis of the game, which you can find on his YouTube channel, Focused on Fins.
