The return of football is always a welcome sight, perhaps now more than ever before. An arduous offseason is in the books and everyone's favorite time of year is on the precipice. August in Miami means heat, humidity, hitting and hard decisions made in order to trim the roster down to 53 in time for Week 1.
In this training camp preview, we're going position-by-position giving you a glimpse into every member of the Miami Dolphins roster. We'll cover all the angles including who the players are on the field and off of it.
On today's docket, part two of two on the offensive line, in order of jersey number.
July 27 - Tight Ends
July 29 - Quarterbacks
July 30 - Wide Receivers
August 3 - Running Backs
August 4 - Offensive Line (Part 1)
August 5 - Offensive Line (Part 2)
August 6 - Interior Defensive Line
August 8 - Edge
August 10 - Off-Ball Linebackers
August 11 - Cornerbacks
August 12 - Safeties
Jonathan Hubbard – Rookie
Jersey: 71
College: Northwestern State
Opening Day Age: 23
The 6-foot-5 product of the Northwestern State Demons (located in Natchitoches, Louisiana) signed as an undrafted free agent with Miami after the 2020 NFL Draft. According to the school, Hubbard was part of a line that allowed a sack on only 3.9 percent of the 517 pass-blocking snaps he played.
Hubbard started 27 games in college. Per the Demons team site, his best performance came in a victory over Southeast Louisiana where he had 10 knockdowns and earned an 82 percent grade from the coaching staff.
Donell Stanley – Rookie
Jersey: 72
College: South Carolina
Opening Day Age: 25
The Dolphins added plenty of girth to the offensive line this offseason both in the draft and free agency. Stanley, from the undrafted market, continues that theme. At 6-foot-4, 323 pounds, Stanley comes equipped with 103/4-inch hands, 345/8-inch arms and an 811/8-inch wingspan.
The captain along the Gamecocks offensive line filled out the trophy case with team awards in 2019. In addition to being elected captain, Stanley won the team's nutrition award, unselfish teammate award, leadership award and the Joe Morrison Offensive Player of the Spring award. He was also on the academic honor roll.
Stanley is battle tested and scored plenty of wins against some of the draft's top-selected players last year in the SEC. He played in 50 career games with 38 starts spread across the left guard, center and right guard positions. The 2019 battle between he and Alabama's Raekwon Davis – a Dolphins second-round pick this year – was a heavyweight fight. Stanley uses that big frame and wingspan to drop a sturdy anchor in pass sets and to roll defensive linemen out in the run game.
Austin Jackson – Rookie
Jersey: 73
College: USC
Opening Day Age: 21
The 18th pick in the draft, Austin Jackson earned praise from scouts for his athletic ability, incremental growth and his unflappable character. By now, many Dolphins fans are aware of his story with the bone marrow transfusion he underwent to save his sister's life and the impact it had on Jackson last year.
As the year went along and as his career progressed at USC, Jackson started showing the make-up of a top 20 pick. Despite the surgery, Jackson went on to play 926 snaps for the Trojans – all at left tackle. In a three-year career, he played 1,923 snaps with 1,152 of them in pass protection. Jackson allowed 33 quarterback pressures and a QB hit rate allowed of .009.
The Combine showed the athletic ability of the Dolphins' newest tackle. At 6-foot-4, 322 pounds, Jackson measured in the 80th percentile or better in the 10-yard split, 40-yard dash, broad jump and bench press. The 27 reps on the bench is much more impressive considering the 341/8 inch arms, which Jackson used to latch onto to defenders and control the rep.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah detailed the traits that made Jackson an intriguing prospect – one whose best football is ahead of him.
"Jackson brings an intriguing blend of size, athleticism and upside," Jeremiah wrote in one of his top 50 players list. "In the passing game, he has the quickness to easily cut off speed rushers and he plays with good knee bend and balance. In the run game, he has the quickness to reach/cut off on the back side and he does a good job of staying attached on the front side."
Keaton Sutherland – 1 accrued season (2nd in MIA)
Jersey: 74
College: Texas A&M
Opening Day Age: 23
Awarded to Miami off waivers last September, Keaton Sutherland made one start in the Week 15 game at the Giants and played 94 snaps on the season. Overall, he earned a 70.1 run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus and didn't surrender a sack in 62 pass-blocking reps.
Brian Flores spoke about the addition of Sutherland last fall and what he saw on tape that made the team pull the trigger on the waiver claim.
"Keaton is a young player in the league," Flores said after he was acquired. "(He's) got some athletic ability. He's a smart kid. He kind of understands things almost like a veteran in a lot of ways. That's been good. I think I like having both guys. I know (Sutherland and Aaron Donnal) haven't gotten much time for either one of them, specifically Keaton; but I think they're developing and that's really what we're looking for."
Ereck Flowers – 5 accrued seasons (1st in MIA)
Jersey: 75
College: Miami
Opening Day Age: 26
Ereck Flowers' career is coming back to where it all started. The Miami Gardens native will resume his professional career – after stops with the N.Y. Giants and Washington – with a three-year free agent contract. Flowers shined in his first year at left guard in 2019.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Washington offense ran the ball inside the tackles 78 times (split evenly at 39 attempts to either side). When running right (away from Flowers), Washington averaged 3.87 yards per carry. Running behind Flowers netted a difference of +.68 yards per carry (average of 4.55 YPC). Nine of the 78 carries behind left guard went for 10-plus yards. Adrian Peterson averaged 0.7 yards per carry better running off left guard than he did off right guard.
Flowers played 588 snaps in pass protection. With just four plays resulting in a hit on the quarterback from the left guard position, Flowers is in rarified air. Just one other guard, who had more than 500 pass-blocking snaps, allowed fewer QB hits than Flowers (Dallas' four-time All-Pro Zack Martin).
With a 97.6 pass-blocking efficiency (PFF), and a 92 percent pass-blocking win rate (ESPN's Next Gen Stats), Flowers was one of 13 guards to play more than 500 pass-blocking snaps and allow two or fewer sacks in 2019.
Continuing the theme of big bodies up front, Flowers goes 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. Flowers logged 4,611 snaps through his first five seasons – an average of 922.2 plays per year.
Jesse Davis – 3 accrued seasons (4th in MIA)
Jersey: 77
College: Idaho
Opening Day Age: 28
The longest-tenured veteran of the group, Jesse Davis is taking to his leadership role on the Dolphins offensive line. Davis told media, in a recent press conference, that he has immersed himself into that position by reading books on leadership and helping all the young players acclimate.
"I'm going to be the leader," Davis said. "I want to be the leader."
His play down the stretch in 2019 proved valuable to a Dolphins offense that scored 28.6 points per game in the month of December. Davis didn't allow a sack in the five-game span, committed just one penalty and surrendered a total of nine quarterback pressures.
Davis hasn't missed a start the last two seasons, totaling 1,896 snaps between three positions. Since becoming a Dolphin in 2016, Davis has played every position along the line except center.
"I think his versatility is very important to this team," Brian Flores said last year of Davis. "His ability to play guard and tackle, we like that. He's got to have some experiences out there as well, which he has, and I think overall, he's done a good job."
Adam Pankey – 2 accrued seasons (2nd in MIA)
Jersey: 78
College: West Virginia
Opening Day Age: 26
Another in-season waiver claim last year for the Dolphins, Pankey only saw 12 snaps of action in his first year in Miami. According to Pro Football Focus, each of those 12 reps came as an extra lineman attached to the end of the line of scrimmage in heavy personnel. In that limited sample size, Pankey scored a respectable 72.9 pass-blocking grade with no pressures allowed.
Pankey's career features two stops in Green Bay and a stint with the Titans before finding his way to Miami last December. He's 6-foot-5, weighs 313 pounds and was second-team All-Big 12 his final year in college (2016).
Nick Kaltmayer – Rookie
Jersey: 79
College: Kansas State
Opening Day Age: 23
Tied for the honor of the Dolphins tallest player (Raekwon Davis and Julie'n Davenport), the 6-foot-7, 313-pound Kaltmayer also has one of the longest wingspans on the team (82.5 inches). He started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season (all at right tackle), earning honorable mention from the Big 12 coaches.
The undrafted Kaltmayer participated in Kansas State's Pro Day back in March. There, he clocked a 5.65 40-yard dash, 8.21 three-cone time, 5.06 in the 20-yard shuttle, did 18 bench press reps of 225 pounds, jumped 25.5 inches on the vert and eight feet one inch on the broad jump.
