The freefall continued in Week 5, as the Miami Dolphins were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals by (only!) a touchdown. The loss dropped the Fins to 0-5 as they continue navigating a significant roster rebuild. While wins and losses matter, much of the focus in 2026 remains on the development of Miami’s young talent.
That is especially true along the offensive line, where rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor and second-year right guard Jonah Savaiinaea are important pieces of the team’s future. How are they performing this season? Each week, we take a closer look at the guards and what is being said about their most recent performance.
Kadyn Proctor
| Game | Snap Counts | Penalties | PFF Overall Grade | PFF Run Blocking | PFF Pass Protection |
| 9/13, @ Raiders | 59 (100%) | 1 | 71.2 | 79.0 | 63.4 |
| 9/20, @ 49ers | 56 (100%) | 2 | 62.0 | 72.4 | 39.1 |
| 9/27, vs. Chiefs | 73 (100%) | 0 | 57.5 | 51.1 | 71.3 |
| 10/4, @ Vikings | 39 (100%) | 0 | 51.2 | 48.6 | 64.9 |
| 10/11, vs. Bengals | 66 (100%) | 0 | 72.7 | 74.9 | 52.2 |
Jonah Savaiinaea
| Game | Snap Counts | Penalties | PFF Overall Grade | PFF Run Blocking | PFF Pass Protection |
| 9/13, @ Raiders | 59 (100%) | 0 | 47.6 | 50.9 | 38.2 |
| 9/20, @ 49ers | 56 (100%) | 0 | 65.9 | 68.5 | 46.1 |
| 9/27, vs. Chiefs | 73 (100%) | 0 | 56.6 | 58.4 | 47.5 |
| 10/4, @ Vikings | 39 (100%) | 0 | 49.5 | 44.6 | 77.5 |
| 10/11, vs. Bengals | 18 (27%) | 0 | 45.4 | 44.7 | 78.4 |
What We Learned
First, we should probably talk about Jonah Savaiinaea’s injury. He left the game in the first half with an ankle injury and did not return. Coach Hafley said Monday Savaiinaea was “doing OK” — given the extra week to recover, the expectation is that he will suit up next week against the Jets. Savaiinaea was replaced by Jarrett Kingston, who recorded really solid PFF grades across the board (78.3 overall, 75.0 run blocking, 76.2 pass blocking) — more on that later.
Savaiinaea’s grades don’t jump off the page, but he logged only 18 snaps before his injury, and many of them came against three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence II. PFF hasn’t been especially high on his season overall, but others, including Coach Eric Smith (see the video link below), have been encouraged by his development. He looks increasingly comfortable at right guard after playing a different position last season. Meanwhile, Kadyn Proctor recorded his highest PFF grade of the season and has now posted a run-blocking grade above 70.0 in three of five games. His pass blocking grades are a work in progress, but for both players, I think it’s so far, so good.
It’s interesting that Kingston performed as well as he did. I don’t know if you can be called a “journeyman” when you’re only 26 years old, but the Dolphins are his fourth team since being drafted in the sixth round in 2024 by the San Francisco 49ers. Could the Dolphins have unlocked a new offensive line starter? Should he start opposite Jonah Savaiinaea at guard and have Proctor replace the ineffective Austin Jackson at right tackle?! I’m in the “slow your roll” camp, but I wouldn’t mind finding playing time for Kingston and seeing if he can stack some wins.
Finally, it’s time for a mini-rant: Offensive line is another area where the Dolphins may be outperforming expectations for an 0-5 team. According to NFL Lines.com, the Dolphins’ offensive line ranks 12th in the NFL. I’m old enough to remember last August, when ESPN regarded the Fins’ offensive line as among the worst in the league, despite being anchored by emerging stars Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer. The Dolphins may not be loaded with talent yet, but that ranking looked questionable in August and has aged like milk. Miami’s offensive line has been one of the brighter developments of the young season.
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.
