The Dolphins kicked off free agency with a big addition to the offensive line in James Daniels. Four players took snaps at guard last year for Miami, all of which have either signed elsewhere or currently sit on the free agent market. In Daniels, Miami wasted no time finding a new starter with plenty of experience and a perfect skill set for the offensive scheme.
Fast and physical with elite technique
The most en-vogue offensive system in the NFL – stemming from the original Mike Shanahan Broncos offenses of the 1990's – asks its lineman to sprint off the snap of the football. Tracking Miami's moves on the line since the hiring of Head Coach Mike McDaniel – Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer – the commonality across the board is the athleticism of those players.
It's been eight years, but when James Daniels went through the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, he produced measurements in the 88th percentile or better in his vertical and broad jumps, as well as his short-shuttle and three-cone runs. That athletic ability jumps off the tape as Daniels makes blocks on the perimeter with ease, but he's more than an athlete; he's a people-mover with bad intentions.
Daniels weighs 327 pounds and plays the position with malice. He can uproot defensive linemen in short yardage via flexible hips and exceptional technique. It's difficult to find a better fit for McDaniel's "fast, physical with elite technique" moniker than James Daniels.
Cagey vet
His 90 games worth of experience is on display when Daniels is tasked with picking up rush games from opposing defenses. Today, defensive coordinators love to call stunts, twists, delayed blitzes and simulated pressures, all designed to throw off the offense's protection plan by creating free runners at the quarterback.
Throughout his time in the league, Daniels has proven to be a worthy adversary for those attempts. He plays connected to his center and tackle, often peeling off his landmark to find extra work, helping the collective unit.
Over the course of 84 NFL starts, Daniels has run every offensive scheme imaginable and should provide a veteran presence from Day 1. In Pittsburgh, he was known for firing off clips, with teaching points, to his teammates in the group chat.
Premier pass protection
Since he entered the league in 2018, Pro Football Focus charges Daniels with just six sacks allowed. Among players with at least 3,000 snaps over that period, no lineman has surrendered fewer sacks.
In fact, Daniels rarely allows rushers to sniff his quarterback. PFF charts him with 107 pressures surrendered on 3,441 snaps, good for a career pass blocking efficiency score of 97.8. Since 2018, only 12 guards have finished a single season with a higher PBE.
To put it plainly, Daniels is in rarified air when it comes to keeping the pocket clean for his quarterback.
Run behind James
In 2023, the Steelers two most productive gaps to run towards came off either side of Daniels. They averaged 4.9 yards per carry of the right-side b-gap (between the tackle and guard) and 4.7 yards in the a-gap to that side (between the guard and center, PFF). Those were the two highest rushing totals by gap, thanks in large part to Daniels consistent surge.
Cat Dad
James and his wife Erin Daniels have two cats, Kurama and Katara. Kurama has her own Instagram page detailing her daily hijinks.
For more information on James Daniels, and the entire Dolphins 2025 free agency class, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
