Kelly: De’Von Achane has been productive, now he needs to be elite | Opinion
It’s not about what he has accomplished so far, or hasn’t.
De’Von Achane’s resume in his first three NFL seasons isn’t just impressive. It’s stellar.
Hell, he set the NFL’s rushing average (7.8) for a tailback with a minimum of 100 carries for a single season as a rookie.
He led the Dolphins in rushing yards (907 yards) and finished third in receptions his second season, and then produced a Pro Bowl-worthy 1,838 total yards and 12 touchdown season last year..
That’s why the Dolphins compensated the 2023 third-round pick earlier this month, signing him to a five-year deal that could potentially be worth $70 million, paying the former Texas A&M standout as if he’s one of the NFL’s top 10 backs when it comes to average salary.
But to earn those paychecks, the ones not included in the $27.4 million in guaranteed money the contract features, Achane needs to take his game to another level because opposing defenses will be gunning for him since he’s on a team with no other proven offensive weapon.
“It comes with the territory. I think I’m ready for the job,” Achane said, speaking with the media after Wednesday’s OTA session, where he was doing a rehab assignment because of the left shoulder injury he had surgically repaired this offseason. “I knew once the contract got done that I’d have to take on a bigger role.”
By bigger Achane means become the featured weapon, and not by process of elimination, which is what happened last season once Tyreek Hill sustained his season-ending knee injury last September.
This season there’s no Hill, or Jaylen Waddle to occupy safeties deep. And no Darren Waller or Jonnu Smith to serve as a tight end outlet for the quarterback.
Considering the lackluster list of inexperienced and unproven receivers and tight ends on Miami’s roster at this time, it’s likely that Achane will face a steady diet of eight or nine defenders in the box this season.
“That’s kind of what comes with it. More attention, more people in the box. But it’s football, man,” Achane said. “If they got eight or nine guys in the box that’s why we have other receivers for. They are out here practicing to be able to make plays.
“If everybody is focused on me, who is worried about the other 10 players on the team?”
With the big check comes big expectations, and that when major playmakers step up. Dolphins owner Steve Ross is paying Achane as if he’s one with the expectation of getting a favorable return on his investment.
“That dude’s a baller,” said quarterback Malik Willis, who has yet to grace the practice field with a healthy Achane. “Since he got in the league, I think he’s been balling…. I’m glad he’s on my team.”
At the moment, Achane trails Bijan Robinson (5,648 rushing and receiving yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs (5,029 yards), two of his contemporaries from the 2023 draft class, for productivity since entering the league.
He also falls short of what Nick Chubb, Travis Henry and Corey Dillon achieved in their first three seasons in the NFL, which means he’s got a ways to go before becoming a household name such as Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell and Jamal Lewis, the top three producers for rushing yards in their first three NFL seasons.
And he’s definitely not in the Hall of Fame conversation like LaDainian Tomlinson, whose 6,165 rushing and receiving yards hold the NFL record for productivity in a tailback’s first three seasons.
But he’s no slouch. At this rate, averaging 98.5 yards per game throughout his career when we put together his 69.5 rushing yards per contest, and the 29 receiving yards he averages on his 3.9 receptions per game, he’s one of the NFL’s top offensive producers.
As long as that stays consistent, the Dolphins should feel like they got their money’s worth.
But to gain a guarantee on that investment Achane must first get healthy first.
“I got all my strength back, and now I’m just working into it,” Achane said, likely referring to working himself into football shape.
A shoulder procedure will limit a player’s ability to lift weights, and he does look slightly pudgier than we’ve seen the past two offseason.
However, Achane has seemingly kept up his speed, which was showcased during his rehab assignment Wednesday, when he ran full speed on a couple of drills.
The Dolphins will need that speed to produce a respectable offense in 2026.
“He’s just a guy that can really do everything, and he does it all well,” said offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who worked with Achane last year as part of Mike McDaniel’s offensive staff. “When you have a piece like that anywhere on the offense, it opens up a lot of doors, a whole lot of doors.”
