USC rookie reunites with former coach, hopes to win Dolphins job. And more on Achane
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Thursday:
▪ Among the Dolphins’ 18 remaining undrafted rookies, defensive tackle Brandon Pili is unique in this regard: He’s the only one trying to win a specific job that doesn’t have a veteran player already under contract.
The Dolphins have a veteran starting nose tackle in Raekwon Davis but don’t have a backup under contract after John Jenkins signed with Las Vegas.
Pili said it’s too soon to think about any of that. He’s simply happy the Dolphins thought enough of him to give him a generous guarantee ($100,000) and a chance to earn a roster spot.
“It’s a beautiful place, a [team with a] beautiful tradition and they gave me a great opportunity,” he said of opting for Miami over other offers.
There’s also a familiarity, having been coached at Southern Cal by Austin Clark, the Dolphins’ defensive line coach. Pili’s freshman season at Southern Cal was Clark’s final season as USC’s defensive line and outside linebackers coach.
Clark called him after the draft and reiterated the Dolphins’ interest.
“He [said] to keep my head up even though I didn’t get drafted [and that] I’ll still get an opportunity. We had good chemistry when we were back at USC. He said he would love to work with me and I would love to come back and work with him.”
Pili had 14 tackles that season and finished his USC career with 74 tackles (including 10 for loss) and four sacks in 40 games, with four passes defended and a forced fumble. He missed the 2021 season with a torn Achilles.
His strengths?
“I’m pretty athletic for my size,” he said.
With Clark as his coach, Pili played his freshman season at 345 pounds. He played at 320 to 325 pounds the next two seasons and was at 315 last season.
“I feel best playing around the 320 range,” he said. “Wherever they need me I’ll be able to play at that weight.”
Pili joked that he and Tua Tagovailoa are “the only two Polynesians in Florida.”
Another Polynesian defensive tackle, Tampa Bay’s Vita Vea, was a former first-round pick and 2021 Pro Bowler, and Pili said he has “watched a lot of his film at [Washington]” and has “tried to model a lot of my game after him.”
▪ Zeke Vandenburgh, who played defensive end and outside linebacker during a breakout 14-sack season at Illinois State last year, said he is working at inside linebacker for the Dolphins.
“I played all over at Illinois State, inside and outside. I’m trying to learn everything, help the team any way I can. I had just a few offers [after the draft]. I’m really thankful for this opportunity.”
▪ One longtime NFL scout, who is not authorized by his team to speak publicly, told me what’s underrated about Dolphins rookie running back De’Von Achane is “he’s got really good, really good hands. The kid has wide receiver-type hands and receiving skills. He can snatch the ball and catch downfield.
“He’s a good receiver, can run, is tough, productive. He has everything you want except for the size [5-8 1/2, 188 pounds].”
At Texas A&M, Achane had 65 receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns.
▪ Meanwhile, former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum — one of the founders of The 33rd Team think tank — said on the company’s podcast, with Josh Larkey, that: “There’s not a linebacker in the league that can stay with [Achane] man-to-man.”
Tannenbaum said: “What you can do with De’Von, is pre-release, meaning he’ll have no pass protection responsibilities as the way to get the ball to him quick. They are going to have him [pass] protect at some point. But at his size, that’s not going to be his strength.
“They’ll be creative, meaning there will be some jet motion, jet sweeps, getting him the ball behind the line of scrimmage where you can get the ball in his hands and try to get him in space.”
▪ Count former Colts coach and NFL defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano among those who’s bullish on this Dolphins defense. He ranks the Dolphins’ defense fifth best in the league.
Pagano, now contributing for The 33rd Team, said: “They won the Vic Fangio sweepstakes. I know how coveted Vic was. There’s nothing Vic hasn’t seen or done. I had to follow Vic in Chicago when he got the Denver job; that was not fun.
“Then they acquire Jalen Ramsey to play opposite of Xavien Howard; you get arguably one of the best or the best cover corners. This defense, they’ve got talent at all three levels. Christian Wilkins is a game-wrecker. Bradley Chubb, who was in Denver with Vic. Jaelan Phillips on the other side. They pick up David Long Jr. as an inside linebacker.”
▪ ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky had an excellent film review segment on “NFL Live” showing how Tagovailoa’s two concussions last season (and the possible concussion against Buffalo) could have been prevented, from an offensive line and play-calling perspective.
“Their tackles in Miami, for some reason, play slow to the snap when they’re in shotgun,” Orlovsky said. “You can fix that.... They can minimize some of the risks when it comes to his injuries.”
The segment can be seen on Orlovsky’s Twitter account.
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 3:21 PM.
