Austin Jackson discusses big changes in Tua, growth in Miami Dolphins’ O-line and more
The Miami Dolphins’ 2020 draft class, led by its formerly baby-faced quarterback, is all grown up.
When asked Thursday what’s different about Tua Tagovailoa in Year 2, left tackle Austin Jackson — who like Tagovailoa went in the first round in 2020 — replied:
“He’s got a beard. A little more bass in his voice.”
After Jackson’s answer during his post-practice media session got the intended chuckles from reporters, the left tackle added:
“He’s been working hard every single day just like all of us. That’s my guy. He’s looking good too, working hard.”
In both a micro and macro sense, Jackson and Tagovailoa are tied together. Certainly, on a play-in and play-out basis, Tagovailoa can’t be his best self if he doesn’t get protection.
And after allowing four sacks in 13 games last year, Jackson — who still is just 21 years old — left room for improvement. The whole offensive line did.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Dolphins’ line 28th out of 32 NFL teams.
But in a broader sense, this organizational tear-down/rebuild experiment, now in its third season, largely depends on how the team’s six first-round picks from 2019-2021 develop.
Brian Flores recently acknowledged an obvious truth recently to NBC Sports’ Peter King:
“The guys we got in ’19, the guys we got in ’20, the guys we got in ’21, that we get in this draft, that’s the team. You know what I mean? That’s the team moving forward. As we move forward, that’s going to be the crux or the big chunk of our team. They’ll be the reason why we make noise or don’t make noise.”
The Dolphins drafted seven offensive linemen in that stretch. At least three — and potentially as many as five — will start for the Dolphins in 2021.
Jackson, the 18th pick in last year’s draft, has embraced the challenge of being his best self after a developmental rookie season.
The environment for growth is far better than it was 12 months ago, when meeting were virtual and workouts were remote.
“One thing we can take is just going through adversity and when you go through a lot of adversity and come through the other end of it you learn to be consistent in yourself,” Jackson said. “And what you can control. So the things you can control and what you do on the field. How you take care of your body. Showing up every single day. I think we got a real good glimpse of that last year, which will help carry us over until the future. Being able to lock those things down. If you’re not getting better you’re getting worse.”
Jackson has tried to get better at all aspects of his game, but most specifically knee bend, flexibility, strength and conditioning and what he described as “torque power and turn power.”
He believes he’s “most definitely” made strides in that area, and presumably those strides will continue during the team’s offseason program over the next month.
The Dolphins have one of the youngest offensive lines in pro football, but that hasn’t stopped coaches and veteran teammates from demanding a culture of discipline, exactness and toughness. Jackson insists he’s already seen growth in all areas.
That shouldn’t be a surprise.
The idea that NFL players make their biggest jumps between their first and second seasons has been repeated so often, it’s essentially a trope. But it also is rooted in truth.
“From a personal standpoint, it’s really exciting,” Jackson said. “As a competitor and as a teammate, I definitely want to go out there and do everything perfect for myself and for my team. Having that kind of expectation but also having the knowledge of what needs to be done, it’s exciting. It excites me a lot and I’m looking forward to it.”
▪ The Dolphins added to their offensive line Thursday when they signed tackle Timon Parris. The 6-6, 315-pound lineman out of Stony Brook has appeared in four games since entering the league in 2018. He’s spent time with the Redskins, Falcons and Browns.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 4:03 PM.
