Draft RB Focus: Dolphins should value De’Von Achane more than a 1st round pick
Jeremiah Love is being hyped as a generational tailback.
The former Notre Dame standout, who rushed for 2,882 yards in 41 games, averaged 6.7 yards per carry and scored 42 touchdowns in his three seasons, despite sharing the backfield another of the draft’s upper-echelon prospects (Jadarian Price), is projected to be taken in the first half of the first round.
There’s talk that Love could be a top-five selection, and that teams are working to make their way up the draft to get ahead of their competition.
While Love is a clean prospect, and someone likely to become a standout, why would an NFL team place more value on this unproven rookie than what they have seen from De’Von Achane the past three seasons?
The Love hype is driven by potential. But Achane has proven that he’s one of the NFL’s elites.
Achane, 24, set an NFL record in his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins, averaging 7.8 yards per carry while rushing for 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 103 attempts.
And that was just his opening act.
In his second season his rushing and receiving total was one yard short of 1,500, and he contributed 12 touchdowns.
Last season Achane earned a Pro Bowl berth after carrying Miami’s offense with 1,350 rushing yards and leading the team with 67 receptions, which he turned into another 488 yards and 12 touchdowns.
So if Love is a generational back, what is Achane?
And what (draft picks), and how much (future contract) is that worth?
That’s an ongoing dialogue the Dolphins’ top decision-makers are having this week as talks to get a contract extension heat up.
For Achane and his camp, the draft presents a pressure point because possible suitors might disappear if a deal doesn’t get done before the second day of the NFL Draft. Even though this draft class is weak, a team that might attempt to poach Achane from the Dolphins could find a dance partner (a young tailback selected) they want to invest in.
And if that happens Achane and his camp will have lost their leverage, and Miami might drag out the extension talks, which would likely lead to Achane sitting out the offseason program, and possibly becoming a hold-in for training camp and the exhibition season.
Tailbacks have a very short window to get compensated handsomely because of the nature of that position, so time is not on Achane’s side.
Top 5 Prospects
Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love: He’s a three-down running back with size and breakaway speed, which allows him to to be a scoring threat at any moment. His contact balance and lateral quickness leads to plenty of missed tackles.
Notre Dame’s Jadarian Prince: Prince is an explosive running back who has ideal short-area quickness. As the change-of-pace back for Love, he only gained 1,692 rushing yards, caught 15 passes and scored 24 touchdowns in 41 games.
Washington’s Jonah Coleman: Coleman has a bowling ball build (5-foot-9, 225 pounds) but runs with vision, patience and contact balance. He needs work in pass protection, which might limit his third-down work.
Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr.: Washington is a decisive downhill runner who has the size (6-2, 228 pounds) to wear down defenses. He had fumbling issues in college.
Penn State’s Kaytron Allen: Allen is a patient runner with an ideal blend of power and vision. His third-down skill set needs refinement, becoming more aware in pass protection.
Best of the Rest: Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson runs with power and is a solid receiver out of the backfield. Penn State’s Nicolas Singleton was limited by injuries and the fact he shared the backfield with Allen. But he’s an efficient runner who usually falls forward. Clemson’s Adam Randall has impressive size (6-2, 235 pounds) and is a converted receiver whose pass-catching prowess boosts his value. Virginia’s J’Mari Taylor gained 700 yards after breaking 45 tackles in 2024. He demonstrates exceptional contact balance, and he’s versatile enough to split out wide. Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott doesn’t run with a lot of power and could be limited to a change-of-pace role.
If there’s one position group whose talent is underwhelming it’s tailback, especially when compared to last year’s crop, which was one of the best running back groups in recent history. Just about every team that wanted one took a tailback. Outside of Love, these tailbacks will likely be taken late in Day 2, and mainly Day 3.
Class Grade: D-plus
Teams in need: Cardinals, Titans, Commanders, Bengals, Vikings, Broncos, Seahawks and Jaguars
Dolphins focus: If the Dolphins can’t get an extension done with Achane it’s possible that Miami’s decision-akers would use the franchise tag to retain him in 2027. That’s not ideal for either side, but will likely be a break-in-case-of-emergency situation. Ollie Gordon II, who gained 199 yards on 70 carries and scored four touchdowns last season, should earn a significant role now that he’s no longer a rookie. Jaylen Wright started 2026 slowed by a knee injury, but eventually turned up the volume on his production, contributing 288 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 70 carries. With 11 draft picks, there’s no shame in Miami adding another. But it’s not a priority.
