Could De’Von Achane Soon Become the Center of Miami’s Offense?
Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, De’Von Achane emerged as one of the most promising rookies in the NFL. Achane averaged a whopping 7.8 yards per carry and was merely three yards short of having 1,000 all-purpose yards. Achane accomplished all of that in just eleven games, all while backing up veteran Raheem Mostert, who is coming off a historic season of his own with a franchise-leading 21 rushing touchdowns.
With Mostert still leading the backfield, Mike McDaniel is making an effort to find more ways of utilizing De’Von Achane in the Dolphins offense heading into his sophomore campaign. The latest development, which was first reported by David Furones of the Sun-Sentinel, has Achane playing more snaps at wide receiver this season. “Just me lining up at different positions, as far as like receiver, running routes and stuff,” Achane said. “That’s something that we’re doing different this year.”
The Dolphins have a surplus of explosive players at the skill positions, with (former) chief among them being star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Ever since Mike McDaniel’s arrival in Miami, the Dolphins offense subscribed to Hill-iocentrism, the belief their offense revolved around their most dynamic athlete.
However, as pivotal as Tyreek is for this Dolphins team, he may not be around for much longer. Both Tua Tagovailoa and Hill are vying for new contracts, and the Dolphins can’t afford to keep both without major cap ramifications. Chris Grier will almost certainly prioritize his franchise quarterback over his star wide receiver, the same way the Kansas City Chiefs did when they traded Hill to Miami after extending Patrick Mahomes.
Naturally, if the Dolphins decide to move on from Tyreek Hill, they’ll need to identify a new player to build their offense around. Could De’Von Achane soon be the center of their attack in a post-Tyreek Hill world? If you were to ask most Dolphins fans who the current second option on offense is, the majority of them would say that player is Jaylen Waddle, not Achane. Therefore, one could make a legitimate argument that the second option would become the first option, and thus the focus of the offense.
Let’s say McDaniel decides that Waddle is the guy they want to build the entire offense around. After all, Waddle had over 1,000 yards receiving without Hill, so naturally he can carry the load, right? Sort of.
Waddle could absolutely surpass 1,000 receiving yards with an increased target share, especially during the middle of his athletic prime. That’s no question. The question is: Would the offense as a whole be better off for it? Not so much. Hill won’t be there to take all of the attention away from Waddle anymore. It is a post-Tyreek world, after all. Waddle will have to deal with all of the Sauce Gardners of the world, and double teams from any defense that isn’t fortunate enough to have an All-Pro level talent at cornerback.
This isn’t a lack of belief in Waddle, but surveying the Dolphins wide receiver room, there isn’t a player on the roster suited to be the No. 2 option long-term. Odell Beckham Jr is an aging veteran on a one-year deal. Malik Washington and Tahj Washington are both essentially developmental guys competing for depth spots. Other options like Erik Ezukanma, Braxton Berrios, and River Cracraft are just average at best. Without Hill, the Dolphins receivers are just Waddle, then everyone else.
If the Dolphins want to get the most out of their offense in a post-Tyreek world, you should center everything around De’Von Achane. By crafting an offense centered around Achane’s dual-threat ability, they’d put less pressure on Tua Tagovailoa, allowing him to be the game manager he excels at being. Additionally, Waddle would be more efficient in a run-first, play-action-heavy offense. Waddle could be himself instead of being forced into Hill’s high-volume role, averaging 10 receptions a game. As a Shanahan protegé, McDaniel has proven that he can design a lethal rushing attack.
Right now, the Dolphins offense is built around Hill for now, but don’t be surprised if McDaniel goes back to his roots by taking a page out of the old Niners playbook by further prioritizing the run game. If that happens, Miami’s offense could soon revolve around Achane’s orbit.
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