Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel offered a positive update on rookie running back De’Von Achane’s injury after he was carted off in the team’s preseason game against the Houston Texans.
Achane is considered week-to-week, and it appears he avoided a serious injury. Achane went down with a shoulder injury against the Texans.
"He's good and avoided anything severe," McDaniel said about Achane. https://t.co/upOHP4hJck
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 21, 2023
This is great news for the Dolphins, who certainly hope that Achane can factor into the team’s backfield rotation in the 2023 season. Miami missed out on running back Dalvin Cook in free agency, so it will proceed with Achane, Jeff Wilson Jr., Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed in the backfield this season.
Achane, who played collegiately at Texas A&M University, was the Dolphins’ third-round draft pick this year (84th overall).
At Texas A&M, Achane lit defenses up with his speed, averaging 6.4 yards per carry across three seasons. He put together a 1,102-rushing yard season in the 2022 campaign while scoring eight rushing touchdowns.
The key with Achane is that he’s a do-it-all running back. The speedster made 65 catches for 554 yards in his collegiate career, and he could find himself playing on third downs for the Dolphins in the 2023 season.
The Dolphins’ first game of the season is on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers, giving Achane around three weeks to be ready to go for the opener.
It’s likely that the team will closely monitor the rookie’s progress since he’s considered week-to-week.
Before exiting against Houston, Achane flashed some of his impressive speed. He showed that he can burst through open holes in defenses, something that Miami would love to take advantage of this season.
When people said De’Von Achane had elite burst, this is what they were talking about🔥 pic.twitter.com/5kCaZYxbf7
— King of Phinland🐬👑 (@KingOfPhinland) August 20, 2023
With Achane likely done for the preseason because of the injury, the Dolphins will get to take a long look at other running backs on the roster in their final preseason game. Miami takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, Aug. 26 to close out the preseason.
After making the playoffs last season, Miami has high expectations for the 2023 campaign. There’s tons of hype surrounding Achane, so McDaniel and company are certainly hoping he can get healthy enough to play in Week 1.
