Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg try to shake early struggles, solidify Dolphins’ offensive line
For all the talk about the need for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to stay healthy and play in every regular-season game in the 2023 NFL season, the development of a pair of recent highly drafted offensive linemen is not far behind in the keys for Miami to reach its ceiling on offense.
After early struggles, Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg enter training camp at a bit of a crossroads in their careers. Like many of the Dolphins’ young offensive players, they entered training camp with the same scheme for the first time in their nascent careers. But Jackson and Eichenberg are once again learning under a new offensive line coach, this time Butch Barry.
A talented and deep defensive front has proven to be formidable tests for the pair. But before Thursday’s training camp practice, the Dolphins’ seventh this summer, coach Mike McDaniel gave optimistic updates on Jackson and Eichenberg. However, given Miami’s championship aspirations, they seemingly face more urgency to develop into competent starting linemen in 2023.
“I know they were down last year for some injury, but they’re getting their footing right,” running back Raheem Mostert said after Thursday’s practice. “They’re trying to do their best. You can definitely tell what has been transpiring in regards to them. So it’s been nice to see.”
Jackson playing on final year of rookie deal
Jackson, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is entering the final year of his rookie contract after the Dolphins declined to exercise his fifth-year option. During the offseason workout program in the spring, Jackson acknowledged the reality of his situation — he appeared in just two games in 2022 because of a pair of ankle injuries, leaving Miami decision-makers without much film to judge his progress in his first season with McDaniel.
Several months removed from reconstructive surgery, Jackson said he is “stronger than ever” and focusing on honing his technique.
“While I was hurt last year, I didn’t go away from the facility and do my training elsewhere,” he said. “I stayed right here. I went to all the meetings. I made sure that I was locked in mentally and I made sure that physically, I was in the training room or with the weight room staff every single day throughout the season and offseason, making sure I did what I had to do to be healthy and to be coming back to perform well the next year, despite being injured.”
Jackson said he feels most comfortable as a pass blocker, skills that have been tested by bookend edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb.
“He’s flashed some really good things and then there’s been great teaching done by the defense when he hasn’t done things correctly,” McDaniel said. “So he continues to get better. He’s a better player than he was last week. And that’s where I’m at with really all those guys. We have a lot of competition across the board in the offensive line room, so everyone’s having to really go after it, which is a cool thing as a coach to witness and right now we are in Practice 7.”
Though the first few seasons of Jackson’s career have been disrupted by a series of position changes, injuries and on-field struggles sandwiched in between, his relative youth still breeds hope that he can turns things around. Jackson joked that he wasn’t even old enough to drink when the Dolphins first drafted him. And at 23 — he doesn’t turn 24 until Aug. 11 — he’s still one of the youngest players on the team, though he has three years of NFL experience.
After playing left tackle in his rookie year, primarily left guard in 2021 and getting two starts at right tackle in 2022, Jackson he takes pride in blocking for Tagovailoa’s blind side.
“I love that responsibility. I truly do,” he said. “It’s what I get up and work for. It’s what I get up and train for. It’s what I study for. It’s what I take care of my body for, so we can be the dominant line that we need to be in order for Tua to keep being himself. He’s a great quarterback. He’s going to get the ball out anyways, but he needs more time from us and that’s a responsibility we take every single day.”
Eichenberg trying to earn starting left guard spot
Like Jackson, Eichenberg has dealt with injuries and various position changes since he entered the league. When the Dolphins selected him with the No. 42 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, he started his first game at left tackle but was moved to right tackle before playing the final 13 games back at left tackle.
He started the 2022 season at left guard but missed seven games because of injuries. Entering his third season, Eichenberg said his focus is to be the team’s starting left guard.
McDaniel said a point of emphasis for not only Eichenberg but all the offensive linemen has been unlearning old habits and emphasizing the current coaching staff’s teaching methods.
“He’s really, really taken a step forward that way,” McDaniel said. “Year 2, since you do know what words mean, what play calls mean, how we communicate, how we target, aiming points, timing. Since he does know that, he’s been able to do some things we were unable to do in Year 1 that I was adamant that we didn’t do in Year 1 which is move him around a little bit, too. I really love where he is at in the progression, but again, it is a progression that’s long, because like I was alluding to before, we’re trying to do stuff at a high level that you have to really kind of empty all of the old thinking and can’t revert in the heat of battle.”
Eichenberg said he’s been focusing on his footwork, especially working in a more confined space as a guard compared to his time at tackle.
The Dolphins added multiple offensive linemen in the offseason, including Isaiah Wynn, who has experience at left guard from his time with the New England Patriots. Eichenberg said he spent part of spring workouts taking snaps at center with Connor Williams not at practice and Dan Feeney sidelined.
But in training camp, Eichenberg solely has his sights on left guard.
“It’s something that makes me more versatile. But at the end of the day, I want to play left guard here so I need to keep working on that,” he said.
This story was originally published August 3, 2023 at 5:38 PM.
