Dolphins Signal Plan to Build Around De'Von Achane With Monster Contract
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane gained at least 10 yards on 18.6% of his touches last season, which was the highest rate among all running backs who had at least 100 touches, per NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.
Holzman-Escareno also relayed that Achane is one of eight players in NFL history to have recorded 3,000-plus rushing yards, 1,000-plus receiving yards, and 35-plus touchdowns across their first three seasons in the league.
Yeah, I’d pay that guy, too.
The Dolphins signed Achane to a four-year contract extension worth $64 million, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Achane, the Dolphins’ 2023 third-round pick, now ranks third among running backs in average annual value, per Spotrac.
The cynical take would be that the Dolphins are in a full-scale rebuild and could have either traded Achane for mass draft capital or drafted a cheaper weapon at No. 12 or No. 27 overall last month. But this was an exceptionally diluted running back class, and when you’re in a full-scale rebuild, you don’t have the luxury to spend first-round picks on running back or wide receiver.
Miami had one of the league’s highest-octane offenses under McDaniel, but everyone responsible, except for Achane, is gone. Head coach Mike McDaniel was fired in January. All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a devastating knee injury last September and was released by Miami in March. Star receiver Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released in March, too.
Rebuild or win-now, it’s never a bad idea for a franchise to invest in a proven player, and Achane is a unique game breaker with his 4.32 speed. McDaniel, now the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator, knew how to utilize Achane to perfection. The only question now is whether new Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik can do the same.
In late March, newly hired Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan identified Achane, center Aaron Brewer, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks as “the three kind of pillars that we build around,” per Louis-Jacques.
Sullivan came as a package deal with former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator and newly hired Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley. They seem to have a plan. Every rebuild has to start somewhere, and there are worse places to start than building around one of the most dynamic athletes in the NFL.
Achane is a highlight reel, but more importantly, he will be a crucial safety net for quarterback Malik Willis next season and whatever quarterback of the future the Dolphins will presumably draft in 2027.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 7:59 PM.