What Achane Expects from Himself in 2025

The Miami Dolphins tweaked their offensive backfield this offseason, but De’Von Achane isn’t expecting much to change entering 2025.

Achane was featured in nearly 30 percent of Miami’s offense last season, logging 290 combined rushing attempts and targets across the team’s 1,039 offensive snaps. He told reporters Wednesday he’s approaching the offseason as if he’ll be that same workhorse heading into his third NFL season.

“I would say pretty (similar) as last year,” Achane said of his ideal role in 2025. “I feel like in OTAs right now I’m doing the same, similar things for us like getting out the backfield, running routes, and just learning the route tree. So I’m pretty sure it’d be similar to last year.”

Miami’s 448 rushing attempts ranked 19th in the NFL last season, and Achane’s number was called for 203 of those carries. His workload ballooned from 103 carries as a rookie, aided by the fact that he suited up for all 17 games after dealing with knee and shoulder injuries in his rookie year.

“Staying healthy was the main goal [last year] and so basically just staying in the training room, just coming in on the off days, even if I’m not hurt, just being in there,” Achane said. “Seventeen (games), that’s a long time. I learned that from my rookie year. 

“In the second year, I wanted to make sure that I was 100 percent available for every game, and that’s the same thing going in this year.”

On top of his availability, Achane stood out for his efficiency catching the ball out of the backfield. . While Alvin Kamara had 89 targets, two more than Achane, he caught 76 percent of his targets compared to Achane’s nearly 90 percent catch rate.

A heavy workload, but mixed results

There are plenty of ways for the Dolphins offense to improve after Miami averaged just 20 points per game last season. Achane was the offensive centerpiece, but to help the Dolphins reclaim their status as one of the league’s most explosive units, he’ll need to do more with less.

Achane rushed for 800 yards as a rookie while averaging 7.8 yards per carry — an NFL record for a running back with at least 100 carries in a season. No other running back with at least 50 rushing attempts exceeded 5.5 yards per carry that year.

While Achane carried the ball 100 more times last season, he added just 107 rushing yards. His average dropped to 4.5 yards per carry, and his yards before contact fell from 4.7 to 2.4. 

The Dolphins made a focused effort to rebuild the offensive line this offseason. James Daniels’ $24 million contract was Miami’s lone free agent contract that extends past 2026. On top of that, the front office traded up in the 2025 draft in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to select Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round.

Improving the offensive line with a pair of starting-caliber guards should give the offense a boost, but Achane believes that he also left yards on the field despite 281 touches.

“I feel like it was just more so me rushing and me not going… like just the small details,” Achane explained. “I know I’m supposed to do this, but me trying to make a big play instead of just doing the right thing — and it was there. 

“Just because it wasn’t there the play before, thinking, OK, it’s going to be different this play. Just stuff like that.”

Becoming a leader in 2025

With Raheem Mostert joining the Las Vegas Raiders after being released by the Dolphins following three seasons in Miami, Achane is eager to continue his role as the featured back and also become a leader of the running back room. And with veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. still an unrestricted free agent, Achane now is the longest-tenured member of the Dolphins running back room in just his third NFL season.

“It evolves a lot,” Achane said of the position group. “I’m going to tell [the new guys] the same thing everybody told me when I came in, trying to help them out. And I feel like just me being more vocal this year because I feel like I wasn’t a big talkative person last year, but I feel like as the years keep going, you grow and get more comfortable.”

The Dolphins added in the offseason Alexander Mattison, who adds some experience to the unit after six seasons split between the Vikings and Raiders. While he’s averaged just 3.9 yards per carry throughout his career — and 3.2 yards on 132 attempts last season with Las Vegas — he’s a candidate to alleviate some of Achane’s receiving workload after being targeted at least 39 times in three of the last four seasons. 

Miami also added former Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II in the sixth round of the draft. He ran the ball 190 times for 880 yards in his final season with the Cowboys, but Achane is eager to work with the playmaker who averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 21 touchdowns in his sophomore season. 

“He’s a great player,” Achane said. “He came in, he’s comfortable, he talks to us like he’s been here. Him asking us questions, I just feel like it makes everything easier. He’s not scared to speak up and say stuff and I feel like that’s good.”

“When I first got here, I was lost and confused, but he’s getting it and he’s out there and he wants to work. He’s in a great room to do it, and I feel like me being a leader and showing him the way and that’s all I’ve been doing.”

Achane added that second-year player Jaylen Wright also looks more comfortable in South Florida after 249 rushing yards on 68 attempts as a rookie. 

On a personal level, Achane was asked what a good season would look like for him.

"Every year I want to get better, so as far my numbers-wise, as far as in the rush game, I always want to try to hit 1,000 yards and then 500 yards (receiving)," he said. "I feel like I can do that as far as how much I’m being used and like the pass game that I was last year because I had a lot of receptions, and me watching film I felt like I left a lot of plays or I felt like I could have done more.”

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