It’s Time For Miami To Lean On Having The Best RB Corps In The NFL
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins might not have a running back on the roster widely known as an “elite” back, but they could have the best corps in the entire NFL. Last year, they were off to a sensational start on the ground with Raheem Mostert rushing for 121 yards in Week 2 and 82 yards in Week 3. He was working with rookie third-round pick De’Von Achane who had just five yards in Week 2 but blew up with 203 in Week 3.
Achane continued to roll after this with 101 yards in Week 4 followed by 151. He then missed five of the next six games due to injury. Achane, who is just 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds, isn’t considered a feature back but he’s perfect in Miami’s committee and had 800 yards in 11 games. Mostert, who followed head coach Mike McDaniel from San Francisco to Miami, had 1,012 yards while leading the NFL with 18 touchdowns.
Add it all up and the Dolphins were sixth in the league with 2,308 yards on the ground and first with 27 touchdowns. For good measure, they were also first in average per attempt, going for 5.1 yards per carry. As good as they were in 2023, this team looks even deadlier in 2024 after selecting Jaylen Wright in the NFL Draft. A fourth-round pick (No. 120 overall) out of Tennessee, Wright is fresh off a 1,013-yard season. He had 2,297 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per attempt during his three years with the Volunteers.
Wright is well-built to carry the load full-time at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds. He also has sensational breakaway speed, which he showed against Georgia by taking off for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. He then verified this speed by posting a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash during the Scouting Combine. Adding Wright to the mix all but guarantees Miami will have the best running back corps in the NFL — provided they can stay relatively healthy.
Mike McDaniel is elite at calling rushing plays
As if the talent itself isn’t enough of a reason to believe in this unit, head coach Mike McDonald offers another reason to buy into this committee. McDaniel was the running game coordinator in San Francisco from 2017 through 2020 and despite a lack of elite backs, he always kept their ground game moving forward. That includes heading up the No. 2 rushing attack in the league in 2019 with Mostert leading the way with 772 yards. He also got the most out of Matt Breida (623 yards) and Tevin Coleman (544 yards).
He had a strong running game again in 2021 after taking over the role of offensive coordinator. San Francisco was seventh in the NFL that year with 2,166 yards. This time, it was Elijah Mitchell leading the way with 963 yards.
How is it that McDaniel continues to get the job done despite a revolving door at the position? He does it with elite play-calling. McDaniel has gone into depth explaining his philosophy in the past, which is basically a wide zone scheme that relies heavily on deception. Many of their runs look the same but will go in different directions to keep the defense guessing. It’s simple but brilliant and it’s also why players such as Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and Tevin Coleman have all followed McDaniel from one team to another. It’s also how he can replace his starters constantly and still find success. Mostert, for example, stepped in for Miami in 2023 and had his first career 1,000-yard campaign at 31 years of age.
Cutting the roster to 53 will lead to some tough calls
It’s always tough to trim a roster down to 53 players. For the Miami Dolphins, it’s going to be more difficult than ever this year. While Mostert, Achane, and Wright are locks to make the team. There’s also Alec Ingold, who will be the starting fullback. While we know about these four, there’s no telling what happens beyond this.
Jeff Wilson, Jr. is currently the fourth tailback on the roster and while he had just 188 yards last year, he did record 392 for Miami in just eight games in 2022. He was traded after eight games with the 49ers — following their acquisition of Christian McCaffrey — and finished with 860 yards on the year. There’s also Salvon Ahmed, who had 319 yards and three touchdowns in 2020 when he was pressed into action. No matter what they decide, there will be some tough calls since the depth is so impressive.
Up Next