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Apr 29, 2024

Dolphins' Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg trying to seize starting roles

MIAMI GARDENS — Zach Sieler went past Liam Eichenberg for a sack on Thursday and this is the classic good news, bad news scenario, of course. It's great that Sieler, fueled by instincts and a desire

MIAMI GARDENS — Zach Sieler went past Liam Eichenberg for a sack on Thursday and this is the classic good news, bad news scenario, of course.

It's great that Sieler, fueled by instincts and a desire for a new contract, continues to overpower and swim past Dolphins' offensive linemen in practice.

So, too, it should be noted, do hair-on-fire Christian Wilkins, also in need of a new contract, and twin towers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.

The concern here, of course, is whether Eichenberg is ready to be a solid NFL starter in his third season.

"It's good stuff, it's bad stuff," Eichenberg said after Thursday's practice. "I have to learn from my mistakes. You know, you can't keep repeating the same mistakes."

Before practice, coach Mike McDaniel seemed encouraged by Eichenberg, who has yielded 11 sacks and 89 pressures with 15 penalties in 27 games, according to Pro Football Focus.

"He's really, really taken a step forward in what play calls mean, how we communicate, aiming points, timing," McDaniel said.

Eichenberg, a tackle at Notre Dame, really needs to show he can stand up well to power in upcoming joint practices with the Falcons and Texans and preseason games, too.

"I'm very hard on myself," Eichenberg said. "Yeah, it's frustrating at times. But you know, I just need to continue to work, keep continuing to do what they want me to do. And, you know, continue the techniques I'm being taught right now."

Eichenberg is a former second-rounder and Miami even once traded up to get him. But Miami has other left guard options, including veterans Isaiah Wynn, Robert Jones and Dan Feeney.

In particular, Eichenberg says he wants faster footwork.

Right tackle Austin Jackson seems to be faring a bit better than Eichenberg at right tackle, though his every move is watched closely. Jackson is, after all, Tua Tagovailoa's blind-side blocker.

"I love that responsibility," Jackson said. "I truly do. That's what I get up and work for, that's what I study for, to take care of my body so we can be the dominant line we need to be. Tua's going to get the ball out anyways. But he needs more time."

Jackson, 23, is a fourth-year player having already played left tackle, left guard and right tackle in the NFL. As a former first-rounder, he has the athleticism required to perform well in this zone-blocking scheme.

"My pass protection, I definitely feel more confident in my past sets," Jackson said. "And you know, my ability to be stronger at the point of attack. Much better. Much faster. And just having a better understanding of the offense allows me to play faster."

Jackson is favored to start but veterans Wynn and Cedric Ogbuehi are capable of playing there, too.

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It's hard to gauge Eichenberg and Jackson until they're not facing one of the best defensive fronts in the league.

And, as Miami's offensive linemen have pointed out, there are some summer drills that favor the defense.

One thing all Miami linemen need to do in 2023 is reduce pre-snap penalties. And on Thursday, the team once again had too many of those.

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The Dolphins are rock-solid at left tackle, center and right guard.

The progress made by Eichenberg and/or Jackson, under new offensive line coach Butch Barry, is a sneaky under-the-radar key to Miami's season.

"We have to really make sure that what we're doing on a day-to-day basis is ingrained and not just a practice technique," McDaniel said.

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him [email protected] and follow him on Instaram and Twitter @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing