Jaylen Waddle and his teammates see special talent in rookie RB De’Von Achane

For weeks the Miami Dolphins have been linked to veteran running back Dalvin Cook. I’m a fan of that signing, but throughout the process, only one question remained: What about De’Von Achane?

The third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M continued to turn heads during OTAs and early on in mini-camp — so it seemed like a forgone conclusion Miami would want to see where he stands before making a splashy signing.

He may be third on the depth chart (currently), but he’s shown enough early on to get some of the veterans on the roster excited. Third-year #elite wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has been a fan since their playing days in Texas.

“Oh man, he can cut on a dime. He’s very hard to get down. His balance is crazy. He had a crazy run today. I was like, he’s going to be one of them ones.” Sure, there are some that have doubts about how Achane’s size and skill set may translate to the NFL game, but Waddle isn’t one of them.

“I feel like people think of him more of an outside guy because he can turn the corner and get gone. But no, I’ve seen him run in between tackles and break tackles and stay on his feet and do a lot of amazing stuff this camp. I’m like, man, he’s going to be good.”

Backup quarterback Mike White also sees potential in Achane, stating that he’s more than just a ‘running back’ and can do things in pass protection and out of the backfield that some of the other running backs simply can’t.

“Yeah, I think he’s very talented. I think you can see that from day one when he got here after rookie mini-camp. He’s athletically very gifted. And I think he’s starting to really learn the nuances of the program.” White continued, “Like you said, the pass pro and running between the tackles. He’s not just a gadget-y speed guy. He can pick up a pro(tection), and that fires you up because that makes you want to get him the ball more as a quarterback. It’s a very selfless job picking up a linebacker full steam. So it’s a lot of fun to play with him. It’s a lot of fun to watch them grow. Now, he’s got a long way to go as we all do. I’m not trying to give him his flowers yet, but the progression that you’ve seen from him is really cool.”

Safety Brandon Jones was a little more straight to the point.

With veteran running back Raheem Mostert sitting out of Wednesday’s practice, Achane will have a chance to impress with the 1’s and show the coaching staff he has what it takes to play on Sundays.

Run, Achane, Run!

What are your thoughts on De’Von Achane? What about Miami’s current stable of running backs? Let us know in the comments section below!