If you polled 100 Miami Dolphins fans on the team's pound-for-pound best player, I'd be willing to wager that De'Von Achane would take the lion's share of votes. That's no slight to Jordyn Brooks, who is a ten-car-pileup waiting to happen on any given down, nor to Aaron Brewer, who cemented himself among the upper echelon of offensive linemen with a second-team All-Pro nod in 2025.
Achane's dynamism blurs the lines of reality, though. He glides on the field with effortless speed and shifts gears with the silkiness of a million-dollar supercar. If that wasn't difficult enough to stop, he pairs that special athleticism with an elusiveness that would seemingly keep him dry in the ocean. De'Von Achane is truly a special talent, and it was the right decision to give him a well-earned extension.
This isn't just homerism speaking, either. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler polled anonymous executives, coaches, and scouts to piece together a consensus on the top 10 NFL running backs. Achane placed eighth after missing the list as only an honorable mention in 2024. That's what 1,350 yards rushing and nearly 500 receiving will do for someone.
The Miami Dolphins ought to taper their De'Von Achane usage to prolong his effectiveness
"Achane's production in his first three NFL seasons -- amassing more than 4,300 scrimmage yards -- makes him hard to ignore. Nearly half of Achane's votes were inside the top five. His 5.62 career yards per rush are the most by any running back in NFL history with a minimum of 500 attempts. 'An explosive play waiting to happen,' a veteran NFL defensive coach said. 'Elite receiver out of the backfield.'"
"Achane is the ultimate make-you-miss back. Since entering the league, Achane ranks first in yards after the catch per attempt (3.8)."
The dilemma presents itself when you consider the bleak outlook for the Dolphins on the field in 2026. Achane had 130 touches as a rookie, more than doubled that total to 281 as a second-year player, and reached an apropos 305 (Miami's area code) in 2025. If Miami is going to be among the league's worst teams, it would benefit the franchise and Achane in the long run to not overuse him.
This is where I'll remind Dolphins fans of the cautionary Ricky Williams tale. Williams arrived in Miami in 2002 as a 25-year-old bellcow back. The numbers seem astronomical in comparison to modern-day usage, but Williams logged 430 and a league-leading 442 touches in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
That kind of usage is what Williams has claimed led to him seeking alternative medicine and ultimately falling out of love with the game. While Williams' story is certainly not as simple as that makes it out to be, the idea is the same. Breaking down your players is the worst thing for the player and the franchise.
Let's face it. Every NFL player has an expiration date. Not in the morbid sense, but in the sense that there comes a time when they will happily venture into a post-football life with the fortune they earned along the way. The travesty is to waste the prime years of said player on a team that isn't going anywhere, or at the very least, is in transition.
That describes the 2026 Dolphins to a T. No, the Dolphins shouldn't sit Achane and wait to be contenders. That would be preposterous. Miami can, however, opt to mix in their other backs, particularly Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright, in an effort to keep all of the horses fed, happy, and healthy. There's no need for Achane to be among the top 10 in touches next year — sorry, fantasy football fans.
Besides, after the Dolphins have taken their salary-cap-flavored medicine this year, the team will be ready to compete in 2027. At that point, unleash De'Von Achane. For now, though, it's best for all parties to exercise some restraint.
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