What led Dolphins’ McDaniel to perhaps his best personnel choice. And more news
If saving Tua Tagovailoa’s career (back in 2022) was Mike McDaniel’s best coaching achievement during his tenure, advocating for the Dolphins to draft De’Von Achane might be his best personnel decision.
Since-dismissed Dolphins GM Chris Grier previously mentioned that McDaniel had become “convicted in his love for the player” about two or three weeks before the draft, and McDaniel lobbied for him. Miami selected him 84th overall in the 2023 Draft.
So what exactly drew McDaniel to Achane beyond his obvious elite speed and productivity?
“A lot of people profile him, like he’s smaller [listed at 5-9, 191 pounds], so you assume all sorts of things based on the size and speed of other players that aren’t De’Von. What I noticed from his college days is he never took hits directly,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “When players do that, that means the game is really slow for them.
“His ability to play in tight quarters and get yards after contact changes how we are able to play football and also enables him to stay healthy while doing it because he’s able to avoid a lot of the big shots. Guys get pretty mad when a fast guy makes them miss; he’s able to take advantage of it.”
Achane, who has 33 touchdowns in 40 games, is on pace for the second-most rushing yardage in a single season by a Dolphins player, behind only Ricky Williams’ 2002 season. He’s third in the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry and can boast numerous other accomplishments.
“I had never really had a player like him exactly,” McDaniel said. “You are learning about him over time that he’s trying to be great. The work ethic tied to the skill set is exciting. He’s very confident but some of the stuff he’s capable of doing he hasn’t seen himself do. There’s a lot of meat on the bone.
“He’s so tight with the offensive line. He’s a dynamic person. He has players playing for him. Every rep that Julian Hill has, he’s flying around someone trying to get that last influential block.”
This and that
▪ After converting eight of his first nine short-yardage runs, Ollie Gordon II has come up short on two critical ones — a goal-line fourth-down attempt from the Commanders 1 that would have given Miami the lead late in the fourth quarter against Washington, and a fourth-quarter fourth-and-1 run that gave the ball back to the Saints with a chance to tie the score.
The blocking wasn’t great on either, but Gordon probably “danced” too much on the play against New Orleans, as Fox’s Mark Schlereth said.
McDaniel was asked Wednesday about the eternal question of a team trying to impose its will as a physical running team on short yardage while also not becoming predictable.
“We have had two games in a row with failed fourth-down attempts and those were critical situations,” McDaniel said. “The failures are real. We had success earlier in the season. We have to be better. All things are on the table.”
With fourth down calls, McDaniel said his decision is partly fueled by what plays are executed well in practice that week.
“You come up with a plan, and you can’t assume it’s going to work because you’ve had success before or be scared it’s not going to work because it didn’t work previously,” he said.
He says he tries to “not be stubborn about it. I could have given the ball to the same player and done a different scheme. Is there something I can tell Ollie in the future or do I need to fake it to him for a couple times?”
▪ Jordyn Brooks continues to lead the league in tackles (his 137 are 19 ahead of the No. 2 player on the list), but what has struck McDaniel is his transformation off the field.
“It’s rare a quiet, business-like, serious focused person becomes almost the voice of your team,” McDaniel said. “That process is really cool because the quiet guy doesn’t talk until people ask what he has to say.
“He’s relentless, he’s tough. It’s rare you are given the gift of being on a team with a person who’s so focused, so relentless that you can count on him 100 percent every day. He became a captain. Hard-pressed if anybody’s voice is heard louder.
“It’s inspiring. I can’t say enough about the guy. Whatever credit he gets, it would be completely feasible if he gave them more.”
▪ The Jets on Sunday likely will be more prepared to defend tight end Darren Waller, who had two touchdown receptions against them in his Dolphins debut in Week 4.
“I can put anything on his plate and if it makes sense in terms of alignment, assignment, he will own it by game day,” McDaniel said. “The guys get excited when he’s back.”
▪ CBS is sending Sunday’s Dolphins-Jets game at 1 p.m. only to South Florida, Naples/Fort Myers and parts of New York.
Here’s my Tuesday piece on Quinn Ewers and other notes.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 12:27 PM.
