Miami Dolphins Vets 'Impressed' With Former Aggies Star De'Von Achane
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HOUSTON --Turn on the tape and you'll come away impressed with the upside of a player like De'Von Achane. See it in person and words will be hard to come by.
That's how Miami Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle feel about their newest teammate and former Texas A&M standout during the early stages of OTAs. Speed has been Achane's calling card since he suited up at Marshall High School in Fort Bend.
It'll be why he sees early action in South Florida as a rookie.
“It’s an instant impact,” Waddle told reporters Saturday. “You can see it in practice. You can see it in the way he goes about meetings, just his work ethic. Having a great guy in the locker room and an explosive player on the field is obviously going to help us a lot.”
Achane returned to Houston for the first time since being drafted to help out at Hill's annual Football and Speed camp in Pearland. He joined Waddle, Hill and All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard as one of the counselors.
Drafted No. 84 overall last April, Achane's do-it-all mentailty should be on full display under second-year coach Mike McDaniel. Hired away from the San Francisco 49ers, McDaniel has predicated his offense on speed, athleticism, and versatility.
Achane fits the criteria to be the missing link of the new "South Beach Four" after three seasons in College Station. A roleplayer most of his time under Jimbo Fisher, Achane did everything. He terrorized defensive coordinators with his open-field speed. He was a reliable target in the passing game, averaging 8.5 yards per catch while scoring five touchdowns.
Even if Achane has to split reps in the run game with veterans such as Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, he should contribute on special teams. The 5-9 All-Southeastern Conference weapon served as A&M's primary kickoff return specialist the previous two seasons.
He averaged 30.7 yards per return and scored a pair of touchdowns, including a 96-yard return in a 41-38 upset win against then-No. 1 Alabama at Kyle Field in 2021.
“He’s another special player that we added this year,” Hill said. “I’m very excited to see what he brings to this offense. So far, he’s been looking really good with his speed and the way he’s able to catch the ball out of the backfield. So far, I’m very impressed.”
Serving as the team's No. 2 runner behind two-time 1,000-yard tailback Isaiah Spiller, Achane proved his own upside during the 2022 campaign. Despite a 5-7 finish, Achane was a sparkplug down the stretch, rushing for a career-high 1,102 yards and 8 TDs on 196 carries.
McDaniel said following Achane's selection that the team came away impressed with his upside during the pre-draft process. Achane posted the third-fastest 40-time among all draft prospects at 4.32 and finished with the fourth-fastest time by a running back in combine history.
Achane’s time only trails Chris Johnson (4.24), Dri Archer (4.26) and Keith Marshal (4.31) among running backs. Only Michigan cornerback D.J. Turner (4.26) and Maryland defensive back Jakorian Bennett (4.3) posted faster times at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Speed, we generally like around here,” McDaniel said in April. “That running back group for us is very important and we found a person who fits the skill set we like, but someone who also fits in the room. He is fast.”
McDaniel isn't wrong. Waddle, a fellow native Houstonian who attended Episcopal High School, posted a 4.37 40-time during his time at Alabama. Mostert, who made headlines during San Francisco's Super Bowl run in 2019, recorded a 40-yard-dash of 4.32 seconds.
Everyone knows what Hill is capable of in the open field. The four-time All-Pro receiver is regarded as the league's fastest player, posting a 4.29 40 in 2016 coming out of West Alabama.
The Dolphins are training to win the AFC East in 2023. Could training for the Olympics be on display next offseason? Achane, who said he'd gained four pounds since being drafted, likely would be the anchor to any 4x100 relay after his success on the track at A&M.
During his sophomore year, Achane was part of the All-American 100-meter relay team and won the 60-meter dash with a 6.63 time. He also qualified for the Olympic trials in 2020 as a freshman after posting a 10.26-time in the 100-meter dash.
"Track helped me a lot [with my speed]," Achane said. "I really wasn't this fast as I was all my life. It's kind of something that's kept going. I've put a lot of work into it. If you work on something long enough, you tend to get it right."
Waddle grew up playing youth basketball with Achane in the Greater Houston area, so he's seen the speed in full display. Dolphins fans likely caught a glimpse of Achane's top-flight sprint during the 2020 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. As a freshman, he was named game MVP after a 164-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 41-27 win over North Carolina,
"De'Von's a great kid, great guy," Waddle said. "There ain't too much you need to say to him. He's pretty focused."
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