After a disappointing rookie season, Jaylen Wright looks to get back on track in 2025
You could see it the very moment he walked into the room.
Jaylen Wright looked bigger.
A mere 6 pounds by his admission but the second-year running back’s upper torso and shoulders had clearly increased in size. The likely catalyst: a subpar rookie season that he very clearly wanted to put behind him to prepare for what will be a pivotal 2025.
“Things happen,” Wright said of his disappointing 2024. “Control what I can control. Don’t want to speak too much on last year because that’s in the past but I just want to be ready for my opportunity.”
Despite the departure of veteran tailbacks Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., the Dolphins running back room didn’t get any smaller. Alexander Mattison was brought in seemingly for his short yardage expertise. Ollie Gordon II was drafted – just one year removed from being crowned the best running back in college football.
The additions mean there’s a bit of pressure on the 2024 fourth-round pick. And outside of DeVon Achane, a guy who followed up his historic rookie season with more than 1500 yards from scrimmage in 2024, the room is wide open.
“Each guy makes his own role on the team,” Dolphins running back coach Eric Studesville said in late May. “I don’t think we predetermine that. I think you gotta expose them to everything and see what they can do and let them develop into the role that they clearly take and establish on their own through what they do.”
The early returns from minicamp were promising. Wright looked electric, changing speeds at moment notice to open up small holes into big gains. To his credit, he has seemingly answered coach Mike McDaniel’s call.
“I see better than I hear,” McDaniels said Thursday. “The best way that I can tell that you really want the ball is how you’re very on all the details of your track when you’re getting the ball or your route to get the ball. Basically, if you’re on it with your assignments, that’s telling me you want the ball more, and I can see better than I hear.”
Wright arrived in Miami after the Dolphins traded a 2025 third-round pick to draft the running back in 2024. It’s not an exaggeration to say that hopes were high; McDaniel’s last rookie running back set the NFL record for yards per carry. The buzz only grew after a solid training camp.
“I feel like I’m a back that can do anything,” Wright said at the time. “I feel like I’m a very versatile back — somebody that can go out in space, catch the ball, make something happen with the ball in his hands. I’m confident in my ability to do anything, whether that’s running through the line of scrimmage, breaking tackles, seeing the seam, hitting it and not being caught and catching the ball, seeing the seam and not being caught [as a receiver] as well.”
But Wright didn’t play in 2024 season opener. His Week 2 debut yielded just 4 yards on five carries. A 20-yard burst in his second NFL game showcased his speed but he struggled otherwise, gaining just 12 yards on eight tries.
A concussion to De’Von Achane in Week 5 opened up some opportunities and Wright took full advantage. His 13-carry, 86-yard performance not only notched a season high in both areas but helped lead the Dolphins to a 15-10 victory against the New England Patriots.
Then Wright randomly disappeared. Not only did the young tailback not break 35 yards for the rest of the season, he also never saw more than seven carries. His rookie year ended with a rather disappointing negative-yardage effort in a lost to the lowly New York Jets.
The 2025 offseason, however,. provided the young player an opportunity to not just work on his game but his mindset as well.
“Stay locked in, stay poised,” Wright said when asked what’s the key for his upcoming season. “Just follow my responsibilities and everything will play out how it’s supposed to play out.”
His growth could bode well for the Dolphins as they look to reestablish their offensive identity in 2025. If Miami’s retooled offensive line meshes well and Wright’s minicamp moves carry over into the regular season, Wright would be in for a breakout sophomore campaign.
