Jonah Savaiinaea Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Young Kwak/Associated Press)
School: Arizona
Class: Junior
Position: OT
HT: 6’4
WT: 324 lbs
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Background: Jonah Savaiinaea was a 3-star interior offensive lineman originally out of Tafuna, American Samoa, but played football in Hawai’i for St. Louis High School. Jonah was a top 20 player at his position in the class of 2022 while being a top 3 player in the state of Hawai’i. As a senior for St. Louis, Jonah was an all-state selection. After his high school career, Savaiinaea competed in the Polynesian Bowl. Jonah Savaiinaea chose to play for Arizona over Arizona State, UCF, and Syracuse.
College: Jonah became an immediate starter for the Wildcat as a freshman in 2022. He had some of the highest PFF grades amongst all offensive linemen in the country. His performance earned him Freshman All-American and All-Pac 12 honorable mention honors. Savaiinaea started every game for the Wildcats in 2023. A year in which he dominated in both pass pro and run blocking, being named an All-Pac 12 honorable mention again. When Arizona moved to the Big 12, Savaiinaea continued his dominance in the new conference, an honorable mention there, in 2024, as well.
Strengths: Jonah Savaiinaea is a heady football player with the IQ to play in a variety of offensive schemes. He has experience playing all over the offensive line, giving him value that not many other offensive linemen have. Savaiinaea diagnoses defensive fronts and blitz packages quickly. He handles stunts and twists at the line without losing any leverage. He is able to handle movement across the defensive line due to his overall size and length. Jonah has ideal arm measurables to keep pass rushers at bay in the phonebooth. Savaiinaea has a strong lower half, allowing him to anchor in pass protection with a sturdy base and absorb power rushes off the edge. Savaiinaea has good hand placement in the phone booth, attacking the chest and getting under the pads of the defender. Jonah has an explosive hitch to combat speed off the edge. He prevents rushers from setting the edge with that sudden burst out of his stance.
Weaknesses: Savaiinaea is not the most fluid mover. In the run game, he struggles to keep up in the second level. He is not the most effective pulling linemen as he is slow footed and has sloppy footwork. His unpolished footwork leaves him vulnerable to the more athletic and twitchy edge rushers. These types of athletic matchups exploit Jonah’s inside shoulder as they work him outside before cutting to the interior of the line with a free lane to the quarterback. As a run blocker, Jonah plays too high and could afford to get lower as he climbs to the second level.
Conclusion: Jonah Savaiinaea is an impact offensive lineman who is hard to move off his foundation. He can be a stone wall in the passing game and can open rushing lanes as a run blocker. His footwork needs improvement but that is likely to improve with the right coaching.
Scheme Fit: Zone Rushing Offense
Ideal Role: Right Tackle
Best Team Fits: MIA, SF, SEA
Player Comparison: Troy Fautanu
Player Grade: Round 3 (76.1)
