Some draft selections raise the eyebrows of the collective audience. The Miami Dolphins‘ selection of Texas A&M RB Devon Achane was one such pick. On the surface, marrying Achane’s speed to Mike McDaniel’s scheme is a dangerous game for defenses, but just how high is Achane’s ceiling in Miami?
Devon Achane Is the Headliner of a Sparse 2023 NFL Draft Class
The Dolphins only had four selections for the second cycle in a row. So naturally, their 2023 NFL Draft class wasn’t going to be a transformational group for the roster. Miami got a versatile, physical cornerback in Cam Smith, a potential TE convert with RAC utility in Elijah Higgins, and a depth tackle in Ryan Hayes.
The most intriguing pick of the Dolphins’ 2023 NFL Draft class, however, was undoubtedly Achane, whom Miami selected with the 84th overall pick in Round 3.
Achane is well-known for his speed, and that’s something McDaniel has been fond of working with. Particularly in 2022, McDaniel helped veteran Raheem Mostert — who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day — achieve a career-high 891 rushing yards, as well as 202 additional yards through the air.
Mostert, McDaniel’s resident speed demon from his time with the 49ers, eclipsed 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in 2022. He’s under contract until 2025, but with Mostert now 31 years old, and with Achane in the room, the question naturally arises: What can Achane bring once he carries the torch?
Speed Is at the Center of Achane’s Game, but There’s More
It’s absolutely right to start with the speed when it comes to Achane’s game. The Texas A&M RB ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and proof of his speed goes back even further. A former track star, Achane has a personal best 100-meter dash time of 10.14 — a blistering mark that highlights his rare vertical ability.
Achane may be a bit more one-dimensional than Mostert. Mostert is 5’10”, 205 pounds, while Achane is 5’8 1/2″ and 188 pounds. Even with an NFL training regimen, Achane may max out at a playing weight of 195, and that lack of density does show up in contact situations.
Achane doesn’t quite have the ability amidst contact that Mostert has to complement his speed. But Achane is just as dynamic when he has seams to stretch vertically. He’s also very instinctive and energized in tight spaces, with the vision and discipline to utilize space effectively. PFN’s James Fragoza said as much in Achane’s 2023 NFL Draft scouting report:
“Achane has the requisite NFL traits in spades. The Texas A&M RB quickly identifies rushing lanes and explodes through them. If a lineman loses their battle in the gap, he bounces to a new one with ease. If penetration blows up the inside, Achane cuts outside, and vice versa.
“The Texas A&M product also owns the escapability to navigate traffic and use his smaller stature to his advantage, sitting in tight spots until daylight comes calling. Along with vision comes patience, another one of Achane’s strong suits. He allows his blocks to set up before attacking a hole — either the designed one or another that appeared.”
Fragoza, in fact, said the following about Achane in his scouting report’s summary paragraph: “Imagine him in a Kyle Shanahan zone-rushing offense. Achane wouldn’t give defenses a chance. There’s a reason why I keep giving him to the Miami Dolphins in Round 2 of mock drafts.”
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The Dolphins were lucky enough to get Achane in Round 3. This was a match made in heaven from the start. Not only does he have the speed to flip the field and break away from congestion, but he also has the vision, patience, and decisiveness to weaponize that speed, as well as the corrective short-area mobility to position himself effectively before transitioning upfield.
On top of his natural running ability, Achane also has utility as a pass-catching back. He caught 60 passes for 456 yards and four scores across 2021 and 2022. Along the way, he showcased the ability to separate from defenders with his speed, as well as track the ball and use his body control to corral passes.
How Achane Fits Mike McDaniel’s Scheme
Achane’s speed itself can be a schematic accelerant. But particularly for McDaniel, who’s at times been heralded as an offensive genius and a run-game savant, Achane’s potential is particularly exciting to think about.
Coming from the Kyle Shanahan tree, McDaniel’s run scheme with the Dolphins is predicated on outside-zone concepts at its core. A system where the runner has time to track laterally behind the line and diagnose at the start of reps, before diverting upfield through the ideal gap.
That outside-zone scheme is a one-cut system that rewards backs who have the blistering explosiveness and speed to hit fleeting gaps before they disappear. That’s the kind of dynamic accelerative capacity that Achane has, and it’s clear that that speed was at the front of McDaniel’s mind when he and Chris Grier made the pick.
“He is fast,” McDaniel said of Achane, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “Chris [Grier] and I share that — we do have affection for that trait.”
Outside zone is a big part of McDaniel’s scheme, but his overall run deployment is much more complex than that past the surface. His scheme is not only multiple in framework — from outside zone to inside zone — but it’s also multiple in terms of personnel and alignment.
Simply put, McDaniel is very flexible with how he gets the ball into the hands of his playmakers, and how he puts them in a position to be successful.
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Achane can take zone hand-offs and tosses out of the backfield, where he could have a fullback lined up in-line, or a bunch set of WRs and TEs waiting to set a wall. Or Achane himself might line up in the slot, motion over, and log carries off sweeps and jet motions. He can even run routes out of the backfield and log touches on screens.
In a scheme that’s so dominated by space generation and capitalization, Achane has the breakaway speed to take advantage. He also has the quick vision to act on space allotted. That’s an important, and potentially fruitful combination — in both phases.
What Is Achane’s Ceiling With Miami?
Without high-end mass and contact balance, Achane might not be able to take on workhorse volume. But in Miami’s offense, where a stable of backs has been the norm over the past few seasons, Achane can provide a very valuable element, and he does have enough toughness to lower his shoulder and sift through crowded areas.
Achane brings the speed that Mostert does, but he’s almost a decade younger, with much less wear on his tires. Beyond that, Achane has the mix of patience and decisiveness to make the most of McDaniel’s outside-zone opportunities and has the versatility to be used as a receiver, or schemed touches through motions and sweeps.
There’s still work to be done for Achane. His vision, while excellent, isn’t quite elite. There are occasional lapses in that department, which ultimately lead to hesitation. He can also still further refine his skill set as a receiver. But at his maximum, Achane can be a true weapon for the Dolphins — with the speed to generate big plays at the drop of a hat.