After the Dolphins signed Terron Armstead in free agency to be their left tackle last year, the club moved Austin Jackson over to play right tackle.
But Jackson, the 18th overall pick of the 2020 draft, was never really healthy enough to do the job. He suffered an ankle injury in Week One and was placed on injured reserve. When he came off in November, he again injured an ankle and was subsequently placed on IR for the rest of the year.
But General Manager Chris Grier still anticipates the club having Jackson as its right tackle for 2023.
“The expectation is Austin is the starter at right tackle,” Grier said on Wednesday, via Alain Poupart of SI.com. “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 around, being around for a year in the offseason will be tremendous value for him.”
If Jackson’s health doesn’t hold up in 2023, the club still has Brandon Shell. He started 11 games at right tackle last year.
Jackson has appeared in 32 games with 30 starts since Miami selected him in 2020. He’s also played at left tackle and left guard.
