Evaluating Jackson's Big Jump at Right Tackle

Of all the personnel question marks for the Miami Dolphins entering the 2023 season, Austin Jackson would have to rank near the top of the list, if not the very top.

As the team heads into its bye weekend, it's safe to say the right tackle has provided a positive answer.

We could even say his 2023 performance at the halfway mark is what you would expect from a former first-round pick, which obviously is exactly what Jackson was.

IS JACKSON'S EMERGENCE REALLY A SURPRISE?

It's safe to say that few could have seen his emergence coming, not after what was a pretty rough start to his NFL career after the Dolphins made him the 18th overall selection in the 2020 draft with a pick obtained in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

But should it really be considered that surprising?

Let's start with the reality that most draft observers saw Jackson as somebody who would need some time to reach his full potential, with his NFL.com draft profile including the projection "Will Eventually Be Plus Starter."

And then maybe Jackson was going to be solid all along at right tackle once Mike McDaniel took over as head coach and installed an offensive scheme that requires more athleticism than power from its offensive linemen, except that we never got the chance to see in 2022.

"Definitely, I think I fit in this scheme well," Jackson said. "I think the scheme is very well thought out. There's a lot of thought process that goes into this scheme. Not to say that there are other things that don't get as thought out, but there's definitely a great plan put in place and feel like it makes a lot of sense. And I've been working to make sure that I fit in this offense by doing everything that they asked me to do."

Jackson's fresh start after McDaniel's arrival was more like a false start, thanks to a pair of significant ankle injuries sustained in Week 1 and then in Week 10 upon his return to action against the Houston Texans.

As a result, Jackson played the grand total of 84 offensive snaps in 2022, certainly not enough for anybody to have any sort of conviction as to what kind of right tackle he could be.

This season, Jackson stands alone as the only player on the offensive line to have started every game. In fact, he hasn't missed a snap.

More importantly, Jackson has played well, if not very well.

JACKSON'S FUTURE

The biggest question no longer whether Jackson can cut it as an NFL offensive lineman, but what kind of contract he'll get after his rookie deal runs out.

The Dolphins declined to exercise his fifth-year option this past offseason, a move that really was a no-brainer because his first three seasons didn't justify anybody guaranteeing him $14.1 million.

What might be a no-brainer now is that Jackson is a keeper, though the Dolphins do have contract issues on their offensive line because Robert Hunt, Connor Williams, Kendall Lamm and Isaiah Wynn also are set to become unrestricted free agents next spring.

So the question becomes which of those players the Dolphins make a priority to re-sign and keep around. Suggesting Jackson as one of those guys before the season might have seemed a stretch, but it certainly isn't now.

Jackson is going to get paid this offseason, the question is by who? His market value is estimated at $10.4 million annually by spotrac.com and he more than likely will be getting a long-term deal from somebody.

In the meantime, Jackson says he's not worried in the least about his next contract, only on continuing to work on his game.

"That's just kind of the guy I am, especially going into this type of play," Jackson said. "For me personally, it's playing football at the end of the day. I have enough to worry about that. Thinking about future and uncertainties and stuff like that, which is like my contract, is just too much for me to think about."

In the meantime, Jackson does admit he takes satisfaction in answering all who questioned him with his play.

"It's a blessing," he said. "if anybody's ever worked really hard for something and really tried to better themselves and people around him, getting a little validation is really nice,.It's really nice. You really appreciate it. It's motivating."