Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed an exciting plan for young running back De’Von Achane for the 2024 season.
“For him, the more he can understand within the offense, the more ways he can get the ball,” McDaniel said. “He had outstanding ball production. … To find different ways to get people the ball, whether that’s different types of pass routes, whether that’s different types of run schemes that you can get comfortable with, all those things. More ways to be at the point of attack to play within this offense, that’s what this offseason really provides for him.”
It makes sense that McDaniel and the Dolphins want to involve Achane more in the offense after he put together some electric performances as a rookie.
The former third-round pick finished his first season averaging 7.8 yards per carry, and he had four games with over 100 rushing yards.
Achane’s biggest game came against the Denver Broncos in Week 3 when he carried the ball 18 times for 203 yards and two scores. He also added four receptions for 30 yards and two more touchdowns in that game.
Despite appearing in just 11 total games due to some injuries, Achane scored 11 total touchdowns (rushing and receiving) and racked up 800 rushing yards.
He seems to be embracing the new challenges this offseason, which include him lining up at different spots in the formation.
“Just me lining up at different positions, as far as like receiver, running routes and stuff,” Achane said back in June during the Dolphins’ mandatory minicamp. “That’s something that we’re doing different this year, so that’s something that I’ve been doing in the offseason.”
A dynamic playmaker with a ton of speed, Achane is a great complementary piece to an offense that already features Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert. Giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa more avenues to give Achane the ball should benefit the Dolphins in 2024.
“I got some of the best receivers in the room here,” Achane said. “During OTAs, I was going out there running routes with them when they weren’t here. I did that with them. Basically, why not? Our receiver room is one of the greatest, and if I want to do the stuff they want me to do, might as well take tips and learn from them.”
Hill is one of those receivers, and he’s enjoyed some of the best seasons of his career in McDaniel’s offense. The Pro Bowl receiver is coming off a season where he caught 119 passes for an NFL-best 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. That led to him finishing sixth in the NFL MVP voting in the 2023 season.
If Achane can learn some pass-catching tips from Hill, it should make him a dual-threat option out of the backfield for Miami in 2024.
The Dolphins were an elite offense in 2023, finishing with the second most points and the most total yards in the NFL. If Achane takes his game to another level, Miami may be able to repeat that success this fall.
