Davis’ best chance to start for Dolphins is at his most natural position — left guard
Jesse Davis has played all over the Dolphins’ offensive line, but he might have finally found a home at left guard. ‘Wherever this organization needs me, that’s where I’ll be,’ he says.
One of the biggest points of disagreement between the Dolphins coaching staff and local media in recent years involved the best way to use Jesse Davis.
The Dolphins in 2020 played Davis predominantly at tackle. Outside observers argued, with some compelling evidence, that Davis was better suited at guard.
It doesn’t happen often, but local beat writers might have won that argument.
Because Jesse Davis’ best, and perhaps only, chance to win a starting job in 2021 is at left guard.
Austin Jackson was drafted to be the team’s left tackle of the future, and that hasn’t changed. The Dolphins just used a second-round pick on Liam Eichenberg and signed veterans D.J. Fluker and Jermaine Eluemunor to compete with him at right tackle.
Robert Hunt, for now, is seemingly the front-runner to be the Dolphins’ starting right guard. And center looks to be a threeman battle among Matt Skura, Cameron Tom and Michael Deiter.
Yes, it is very early in the process, and the true evaluation will come in pads during training camp. But process of elimination seemingly leaves Davis in a competition with Solomon Kindley at left guard, a spot that is unresolved after the Dolphins
traded Ereck Flowers in April.
“Wherever I can be at, that’s where I want to go,” Davis said during Dolphins minicamp earlier this month. “Every spot is open right now. This is where I’m at. The left side I haven’t really gotten too many reps at [during my career], but that’s how we get better is by doing it. Wherever this organization needs me, that’s where I’ll be.”
That flexibility and versatility were big factors in the Dolphins’ decision to sign Davis to a threeyear, $15 million extension in 2019 and to keep him on the roster in 2021 even though they could have saved $2.6 million in a tight cap year by cutting him.
Davis might never be a Pro Bowler, but he probably will never be a liability, either. He’s solid, allowing just one sack and two penalties during a 2020 season in which he split time largely between left and right tackle. Davis did allow 34 pressures in 657 pass blocking snaps, at times struggling with faster, more athletic edge defenders.
That won’t be an issue in 2021, however, if the Dolphins move him to guard.
“I’m not going to tell them no,” Davis said. “I like playing. I like being out there. I like mixing up with the guys. It’s been a challenge, but it comes with the job.”
Davis’ veteran presence also helped keep him on the team. The Dolphins have eight offensive linemen under the age of 25, and Davis is the only offensive captain from 2020 still with the organization.
“As a young player when I was growing up too, these vets would help me,” Davis said. “They weren’t scared of competition at all. Going into this, I’m not really going, ‘I’m not going to help this guy because he’s going to take my job.’ I’m like ‘Good, I want you to make me better by pushing me and I’ll push you, and we’ll see where the chips lay at the end of the day.’ Helping these guys, it’s part of the role. If you want to be a leader, you’ve got to help your team out. And if you’re afraid of competition, it isn’t the place to be.”
Added Dolphins coach Brian Flores: “We’re always going to play the best five guys, and if that happens to be five rookies or five vets or two rookies and three vets, I think we’re always going to do what’s in the best interest of the team for a particular game to try to win that game.”
The Miami Dolphins intend to host joint practices with the Bears as well as the Falcons during training camp, as The Athletic first reported. The practices with Chicago will come before the teams’ Aug. 14 preseason game.