Miami Dolphins trade up to take Notre Dame offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg

The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line is young and on Friday got even younger.

Chris Grier traded up from 50 to 42 to take Notre Dame guard/tackle Liam Eichenberg — the third lineman selected by Miami in the first two rounds since 2020.

Eichenberg started his last three years at Notre Dame as left tackle — and didn’t allow a sack in his last two — but is projected by many as a guard in the NFL.

And that makes sense for Miami, which needed interior help after trading Ereck Flowers earlier this week.

“We knew there was going to be a run on offensive linemen,” Grier said, when asked about the trdae. “It was important for us to get up. We liked his toughness, character. He’s played a lot of football. Really smart. He’s a guy that we’ve talked about, targeted.”

It’s tough to see Eichenberg supplanting Austin Jackson at left tackle, but the Dolphins could give him a look at right tackle after moving Robert Hunt to right guard. D.J. Fluker and Jesse Davis are also in the mix at right tackle.

But his best chance to start as a rookie is probably left guard, where he will presumably compete with Solomon Kindley.

Eichenberg said Friday night that the Dolphins had not informed him where they envision him lining up, but added: “I‘ll play anywhere they need me, They can put me at center, [they can] put me wherever they want.”

To move from 50 to 42, the Dolphins sent the Giants their third-round pick in 2022. They now will be without their first and third-rounders next year, but will have picks in each of those rounds that they acquired in their trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

Here’s a scouting report on Eichenberg from the Athletic’s Dane Brugler:

“A three-year starter at Notre Dame, Eichenberg lined up at left tackle in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ scheme. He started every game there the last three seasons (2018-20), following in the footsteps of Mike McGlinchey (2016-17), Ronnie Stanley (2014-15) and Zack Martin (2010-13), all first-rounders in the NFL Draft. ... Eichenberg is a fundamentally minded blocker and stays centered in his pass-sets, allowing his fierce punch and play demeanor to battle defenders. While he plays under control, his mistakes are usually costly, opening rush lanes and lacking the quickness to easily recover. Overall, Eichenberg does not have the athletic traits or length of past Notre Dame tackles, but he is strong at the point of attack with consistent hands, technique and intelligence. Several NFL teams view him best inside at guard.”