When the Miami Dolphins selected Austin Jackson and Noah Igbinoghene in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, critics almost universally panned the moves.
Jackson was the No. 35 prospect on PFN’s 2020 Big Board. Igbinoghene was No. 47. Miami took them 18th and 30th, respectively. Those decisions turned out to be mistakes, which the Dolphins tacitly admitted Tuesday.
That’s when it was revealed Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel decided not to pick up either player’s fifth-year option, meaning it’s nearly midnight for both in Dolphins uniforms.
Miami Dolphins Decline Fifth-Year Option for Austin Jackson, Noah Igbinoghene
Tuesday was the deadline for teams to activate that fifth-year option, but in truth, it would have only been news if the Dolphins picked them up.
Doing so would have been financial malpractice. Jackson would have been fully guaranteed $14.2 million in 2024. Igbinoghene would have received $11.5 million. Both would fetch a fraction of that if they reached the open market.
Neither has shown consistent signs of being NFL starters during their first three seasons with the team — even if the Dolphins are willing to give Jackson one more shot to prove he belongs.
“The expectation is Austin is the starter at right tackle,” Grier said last month. “We’re excited for him. I know he was frustrated with some of the injuries last year, but he’s been working hard. He’s been doing a lot of stuff here in the offseason.
“Having Terron [Armstead] around here, another year being around him for a year and the offseason will be tremendous value for him.”
Jackson has appeared in just 32 of a possible 49 games with the Dolphins, logging a grand total of 84 snaps in 2022 due to a significant ankle injury. But had he played great in Years 1 and 2, Miami probably would have picked up his option.
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Instead, he was a man without a position, struggling at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle.
The Dolphins needed a tackle out of the 2020 draft, but scouts at the time believed there was a significant gap between the top four — Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills Jr., Mekhi Becton, and Tristan Wirfs — and the rest. Turns out, they were on to something.
But the Jackson pick made way more sense than the Dolphins taking Igbinoghene with their third first-round pick. Igbinoghene was seen as an athletic but very raw player who needed significant coaching to be an NFL starter. It’s clear that whatever coaching he got didn’t take.
Igbinoghene was a part-time defender in 2023, even with Byron Jones, Nik Needham, and Trill Williams unavailable for much or all of the season. And even though his metrics were improved over his first two seasons, he still wasn’t great.
Now, he’ll have to perform just to make the Dolphins’ 2023 roster.