Second-round Arizona guard whose rocky rookie year included one of the lowest PFF grades ever recorded at his position.
Jonah Savaiinaea, a versatile lineman from American Samoa by way of Hawaii, was a significant investment for Miami, taken in the second round after the Dolphins traded up to get him. His rookie season did not go as planned, marked by heavy pressure allowed early on, though he showed real improvement as the year progressed.
Path to the league
Born in Tafuna, American Samoa, and raised playing at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Savaiinaea started games at right guard, right tackle and left tackle across three seasons at Arizona, appearing in 36 games. The Dolphins traded up with the Las Vegas Raiders to select him 37th overall in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Savaiinaea's best college season came as a junior, when he led Arizona with a 75.9 PFF offensive grade. He tested well athletically for the position, ranking in the 90th percentile in speed and 80th percentile in agility and explosiveness among guards.
2025 season recap
Savaiinaea's rookie season was a difficult one: his 28.4 PFF grade ranked as the lowest recorded for a guard in the metric's history, and he allowed a league-worst combination of eight sacks and 45 total pressures among qualified guards. He did show clear growth down the stretch, allowing just two sacks and no penalties over his final seven games of the season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jonah Savaiinaea
- ESPN: Jonah Savaiinaea (via NFL.com)
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Arizona
- Hometown
- Tafuna, American Samoa
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
