Report: Miami Dolphins sign Isaiah Wynn to compete with Austin Jackson as hope is that one will stay healthy

Former first-round pick Isaiah Wynn is reportedly heading to the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal. He is expected to provide the team with additional depth on the offensive line and possibly give Austin Jackson competition for a starting spot.

Wynn last played for the New England Patriots, the team that drafted him. New England took a chance on him with the No. 23 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the University of Georgia product hasn’t been able to showcase his value at the NFL level that much because of injuries.

He missed the entire 2018 season, which would have been his rookie campaign, after suffering a torn Achilles in the preseason. The timing for the offensive tackle couldn’t have been more unfortunate because the Patriots won the Super Bowl that season.

In the following years, Wynn was in and out of the lineup due to injuries. He did stay pretty healthy during the 2021 campaign, when he suited up for 16 of New England’s 17 regular season games, only missing the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Houston Texans. But last season, he played in just nine contests due largely to a foot injury.

This offseason has given the Florida native an opportunity to perhaps reset his career. Hopefully for the Dolphins organization and its fans, Wynn will be healthy enough to help the squad contend for the playoffs once more.

While he primarily assumed the left tackle position in his early years in the league, Wynn was moved to the right side last season. It seems that the Dolphins plan to use him in the same spot, which Jackson is expected to man in the upcoming season.

It remains to be seen if Miami’s gamble to add an injury-prone player to compete for the starting right tackle position with Jackson (who suited up in just two contests in the 2022 campaign) will pay off. Still, considering that both players are former first-round picks, they clearly have the potential to strengthen Miami’s offense.

Jackson is only three years removed from entering the league as the No. 18 overall pick. Like Wynn, Jackson also started his career on the left side before being moved to right tackle.