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Evaluating the Right Guard Rotation Results

How did Isaiah Wynn and Liam Eichenberg fare will splitting snaps on the offensive line?

Dante Collinelli

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) runs with the football against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) runs with the football against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins made a change to their offensive line in their win against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The team decided to rotate Isaiah Wynn at right guard with Liam Eichenberg, who had started the previous 15 games.

It was Wynn’s first action since Oct. 22, 2023, when he suffered a quadriceps injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. According to coach Mike McDaniel, the rotation worked out well for Miami.

“I’d have to see the tape first, but I thought overall, it was really good to get Isaiah in,” McDaniel said after the game. “The way he’s worked to get on the field, every teammate has watched and witnessed it, and you’re just kind of careful not to overload someone. So we went into the game planning for Isaiah and Liam to go every two series, which I thought had an effective result.

“The defensive line we were going against majors in line changes. They were subbing left and right all over the place, so I thought we’d render better results in the run and pass game. I think both of their executions were partially revealed with zero sacks.”

The Dolphins did give up zero sacks, and they got the running game going for the first time in a while. De’Von Achane finished with 17 carries for 120 yards, going over 100 yards for the first time this season.

Overall, Miami finished with 166 rushing yards on 30 carries, which was the first time it recorded more than 100 rushing yards since Nov. 11 against the Los Angeles Rams.

So, was Wynn’s addition to the lineup why Miami’s running game came back to life Sunday? We dove into the film and stats to see just how much of an impact Wynn had.

Did Wynn Fix The Running Game?

Looking at Miami’s running stats with Wynn on the field, it would be easy to assume he had a major impact on the running game.

The Dolphins averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 2.20 yards before contact per carry on their 15 rush reps with Eichenberg, and they averaged 6.3 YPC and 4.8 yards before contact per carry with Wynn for the other 15.

Those numbers need a little more context, though. Many of those yards came at the end of the game when Achane broke his 50-yard touchdown run to seal the win. Wynn did make a nice block on that play, but so did Kendall Lamm and Julian Hill — it was a group effort.

Wynn’s seal on this play is important, but Lamm exploding to the second level and taking out All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner is the far more important block. Additionally, Hill takes care of Nick Bosa at the line of scrimmage with a good initial punch off the line, leaving Bosa out of position.

If you watch the rest of the film, it’s pretty clear that Wynn’s play is more a product of the players around him playing well. Terron Armstead and Lamm were dominating on the edge in the running game for most of the contest.

The most important blockers in the Dolphins’ outside zone scheme are the tackles, tight ends, and center Aaron Brewer because he’s such a good blocker in space.

It also should be noted that Eichenberg played better than he did against the Houston Texans, especially in the run-blocking department. That’s not a high bar to clear, but Eichenberg mostly held his own in Week 16.

Wynn was better than Eichenberg overall, so if the Dolphins don’t want to rotate that spot again, Wynn probably should get the start against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Wynn provides more physicality on the interior, which means he won’t end up on the ground as much as Eichenberg does.

Whether Wynn was the catalyst for the running game improvement or not, Miami’s performance in the running game should be considered a win.

The Future At Guard

Wynn played well enough to be an upgrade on Eichenberg this season, but if the Dolphins truly want to improve their running game next season, they should look for upgrades this offseason.

As mentioned above, the guards are not the most essential part of Miami’s outside zone scheme. However, the 2025 NFL draft features some excellent guard prospects who could raise the ceiling for Miami’s running game.

A few names to watch as first or second-round picks: LSU’s Will Campbell, Texas’ Kelvin Banks, and Missouri’s Armand Membou, who all played tackle in college but could be projected to guard in the NFL.

Alabama’s Tyler Booker is the draft’s best pure guard, but he has not declared yet.

The positional versatility provided by players like Campbell, Banks and Membou also would be valuable for a team with offensive tackles who have extensive injury histories in Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson.

If spending a top 50 pick on an offensive lineman — especially one projected to play guard — still isn’t something Miami wants to do, free agency could be a path to upgrading the guard spot.

Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith will be highly sought after and likely out of Miami’s price range, but players like James Daniels (Steelers), Aaron Banks (49ers) and Will Fires (Colts) could be reasonable-priced options.

Overall, it’s important not to view Wynn as a savior. Yes, he’s better than Eichenberg and can help the Dolphins slip into the playoffs this season. However, he’s not a long-term answer, and although the Dolphins ran the ball well in Wynn’s return, he was not the only reason for the improvement.

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Dante Collinelli
DANTE COLLINELLI

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