No sophomore slump: Dolphins expecting RB Achane to earn bigger role in second year

De’Von Achane’s speed was a major enticement when the Miami Dolphins drafted him in the third round out of Texas A&M.

But how well his overall skill set translated to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s offensive scheme quickly made him one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the NFL.

And yet the Dolphins felt they were scratching the surface on that front.

But just how much Achane can make an impact offensively for Miami in Year 2 depends largely on Achane himself.

“It’s an important offseason for him,” McDaniel said just before the Dolphins’ voluntary OTA practice on Tuesday. “You’re really hanging on by your coattails in this league as a rookie the way things are structured. So much time is devoted to working out and testing numbers and measurables.

“In Year 2, you kind of let everything settle and you understand much more of the ‘why’s’ of everything you do. The more he can understand the offense, the more he can get the ball. He feels specifically there’s more out there for him than there was last year.”

Achane’s first demonstration of his potential came during the Dolphins’ record-setting 70-20 rout of the Denver Broncos during which he ran for two touchdowns and caught two touchdown passes.

Achane, who was not at Tuesday’s practice, eclipsed the 100-yard mark in each of the next two weeks in a loss at Buffalo and a win over the Giants. He also had one of the fastest runs in the NFL last year in the latter of those games when he was clocked at 21.93 mph.

McDaniel is looking for more than just speed from Achane.

He’s hoping Achane not only avoids the dreaded sophomore slump, but continues to evolve as a player and becomes even more of a versatile offensive threat.

“Finding more ways to get people the ball, different pass routes, whether that’s different types of run schemes that he can get comfortable with, more ways to be at the point of attack and play within this offense,” McDaniel said. “That’s what this offseason really provides for him. We’ve seen some strength gains, and you can tell by his body that he’s put some work into it, and him understanding everything about our offense so he can be as big a part of it as possible.”

Achane was sidelined for four games while on injured reserve with a knee injury, but returned to play in the Dolphins’ final seven games.

Achane rushed for 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 103 carries his rookie season. He also caught 27 passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. He fumbled only once.

Fellow Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is optimistic about what Achane and the rest of the running backs can do this season.

“If you have a good foundation whether you’re a second-year or fourth-year or nine- or 10-year guy, it’s about having good core beliefs on what you’re trying to achieve,” Mostert said.

“I’m expecting big things out of all my guys in the room. Jeff [Wilson], Sav [Salvon Ahmed], myself, [Alec] Ingold, Chris Brooks, we all have to have that hunger and that mentality of getting better.

“We all have our own process, but at the end of the day, it does count. And as long as you can understand that, you’ll be fine, and [Achane] is understanding that.”

COACHING TREE

McDaniel is entering his third season as a head coach.

And he was informed Tuesday that he now officially has a “coaching tree” thanks to former Dolphins backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who in recent months became the coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High.

“I kinda had an idea Teddy would go in this direction when he was here figuring things out and what he wanted to do,” McDaniel said. “He’s a very talented individual and he has a lot of things he could do. He’s passionate about football, so it doesn’t surprise me and that’s pretty cool. It’s good in Year 3 to have a coaching tree. It shows there’s growth and life.”

Bridgewater, 31, retired after spending the last season of a 10-year NFL career — that included one season in Miami — in 2023 backing up Jared Goff in Detroit.

He took over at Northwestern this past February and hopes to restore a program that has won eight state championships back to prominence while helping the youth in his community along the way.

“Having the mentors I had, I learned so much,” Bridgewater told the Miami Herald in a recent interview. “I just wanted to pour that back to the kids when it was my time.”