Where Does Texas A&M RB De'Von Achane Rank Amongst the NFL's Best?

The Pro Football Focus, or PFF, released their positional rankings for running backs entering the 2025 season.

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) runs with the ball while New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) attempts to tackle him during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Since being drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins in the 2023 NFL Draft, running back De'Von Achane has taken the NFL by storm with his explosive speed and dual-threat abilities.

In Week 3 of his rookie season, he would torch the Denver Broncos for 203 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in a 70-20 win, and in the 2024 season, the Aggie back would record 907 yards on the ground and 12 total touchdowns.

With his well-rounded skill on display through his first two professional seasons, where does Achane when compared to the other great running backs in the NFL today?

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Miami Dolphins running back DeVon Achane (28) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

According to Pro Football Focus, Achane ranks just inside the top 10 of the NFL's best halfbacks, at number 9.

In addition to his 907 yards rushing, Achane also racked up 592 receiving yards in 2024, the most at his position, which resulted in a PFF grade of 82.1 in rushing and 80.2 in receiving, after accruing a rushing grade of 93.1 as a rookie in 2023.

For those unfamiliar with the Pro Football Focus or their grading metric, every player at every position is graded on a scale of -2 to +2, using half-point increments, that may differ based on broken tackles and the overall impact of the play on the game itself.

The list was topped by Baltimore Ravens running back, who despite his ripe age of 31, still proved that he is still the "King" of running over defenders, with a PFF grade of 93.5, which earned the former Heisman Trophy recipient the Pro Football Focus Best Runner award for 2024.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who led the NFL with his masterful 2,005-yard performance on his way to leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs, ranked second with a rushing PFF grade of 82.7.

Here is the top 10 of the PFF's rankings of the NFL's best running backs heading into the 2025 season:

1) Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

2) Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

3) Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

4) Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

5) Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

6) Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7) Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

8) James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

9) De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

10) Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams