AFC East preview: The Dolphins aren’t the only team with questions on the offensive line

The AFC East is shaping up to be arguably the toughest division in the NFL in 2023.

The Buffalo Bills have won the division each of the past three years. The New York Jets made the biggest move of the offseason, trading for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. And the New England Patriots, despite an 8-9 record and third-place finish last season, are always a hard out under coach Bill Belichick.

The Dolphins have constructed, on paper, one of the strongest rosters in the league and are looking to take another step after making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But their efforts to win their first postseason game since 2000 and pursue their first championship since 1973 will start in the division, which the team has not won since 2008.

During an eight-part series leading into the start of training camp, the Miami Herald will rank and preview different positions for each team in the AFC East, from strongest to weakest. Part 4 is offensive line, and next is defensive line.

1. New England Patriots

▪ Projected depth chart: LT: Trent Brown | LG: Cole Strange | C: David Andrews | RG: Michael Onwenu | RT: Riley Reiff

▪ Skinny: If the Patriots can count on anything on offense in 2023, it should be a normally reliable offense line. The unit wasn’t as formidable in 2022 as it was in 2021 and like much of the offense’s issues, you could pin a lot of that on the dysfunction within the coaching staff. The Patriots attempted to incorporate more zone-rushing concepts, which had mixed results. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien not should only help quarterback Mac Jones but bring more clarity to an offensive line that has the talent to return to dominant form. The only new projected starter is Reiff, who has 149 starts in his career. And among the returning starters, each started at least 14 games last season.

2. Buffalo Bills

▪ Projected depth chart: LT: Dion Dawkins | LG: Connor McGovern | C: Mitch Morse | RG: Ryan Bates | RT: Spencer Brown

▪ Skinny: Like New England, there’s continuity on this offensive line, as the Bills return four starters from 2022. The quartet of Dawkins, Morse, Bates and Brown combined for 57 starts last season. The only new projected starter is McGovern, whom Buffalo signed from the Dallas Cowboys and has experience at both guard spots. It’s not a dominant group and Josh Allen’s mobility takes a bit of pressure off the offensive line, but Buffalo has experience across the unit. O’Cyrus Torrence, the Bills’ second-round pick, will be in the mix to unseat Bates as the starting right guard.

3. Miami Dolphins

▪ Projected depth chart: LT: Terron Armstead | LG: Liam Eichenberg | C: Connor Williams | RG: Robert Hunt | RT: Austin Jackson

▪ Skinny: The Dolphins are expected to begin 2023 with the same unit that started 2022, but the success of this group largely hinges on two factors: health and the development of Jackson and Eichenberg. Injuries forced the Dolphins to use nine different starting combinations and only Williams and Hunt started every game last season The rash of injuries was especially detrimental to Jackson and Eichenberg, who only played in two and 10 games, respectively. Despite their early career setbacks, Miami has remained steadfast in support of the two recent high draft picks. The team signed veterans Dan Feeney, Isaiah Wynn and Cedric Ogbuehi, but it remains to be seen whether any can push for a starting role.

4. New York Jets

▪ Projected depth chart: LT: Duane Brown | LG: Laken Tomlinson | C: Connor McGovern | RG: Alijah Vera-Tucker | RT: Mekhi Becton

▪ Skinny: The mere presence of Aaron Rodgers will elevate a Jets offense that has talent but couldn’t overcome shoddy quarterback play. However, Rodgers’ ceiling is likely determined by how well New York’s offensive line rebounds in 2023. Like Miami, this group also dealt with myriad injuries. Vera-Tucker, the Jets’ best offensive lineman, missed nine games because of a season-ending ACL tear. Becton has played only in one game in the past two seasons. He didn’t participate in OTAs but is said to be in great shape after previously dealing with weight issues. However, he has stated his desire to play left tackle. That spot is currently occupied by Brown, who missed five games and played through a nagging shoulder injury. Rookie Joe Tippman and second-year player Max Mitchell, who started five games in 2022, could push for starting spots at center and right tackle, respectively.