Is Achane Already an All-Time Great Draft Picks for the Dolphins?

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane is well on his way to team MVP honors

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) carries the ball defended by Washington Commanders linebacker Jordan Magee (58) in the second quarter during the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins fans never were shy about voicing (or expressing on social media) their displeasure at former GM Chris Grier for his draft record, but in the interest of fairness he most definitely deserves credit for the selection of De'Von Achane.

In the middle of his third NFL season, Achane already has made the case as the best draft pick of Grier's tenure as GM, which began in 2016.

Maybe the one pick that might stand out a bit more than the selection of Achane in the third round of the 2023 draft is that of cornerback Xavien Howard in the second round of the 2016 in the draft after the Dolphins made a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to move up from 40th to 36th overall — one of the rare draft trade-ups that have worked out for Miami in recent years.

Howard earned four Pro Bowl invitations during his eight-year stint with the Dolphins, earned All-Pro honors in 2020 and was team MVP that season (should have been team MVP in 2021 as well).

Achane didn't have any of those accolades in his first two seasons, but he's the clear front-runner for team MVP honors through 11 games this season.

Achane currently stands fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,290, trailing only Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts and Bijan Robinson of the Atlanta Falcons.

Achane was the sixth running back taken in the 2023 draft after Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions, Zach Charbonnet of the Seattle Seahawks, Kendre Miller of the New Orleans Saints and Tyjae Spears of the Tennessee Titans, and Achane belongs in the same conversation in terms of impact as Robinson and Gibbs, though both of them were first-round picks.

As the Dolphins head into their bye, Achane is coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders. He was the last Dolphins running back with the back-to-back triple-digit performances since he did it three consecutive weeks early in the 2023 season. Weeks

Before Achane, the last Dolphins running back with back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances had been Kenyan Drake in 2017.

ALL-TIME GREAT THIRD-ROUND PICKS

When it comes to all-time great Dolphins third-round picks, Achane probably already deserves a top 5 spot, though he's got a long way to go to reach the top.

That's because the Dolphins used their first of four third-round picks — yes, four third-round picks — in the 1997 draft on future Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.

But it says here that Achane is the best third-round pick the Dolphins have made since then.

Here's the list since Taylor was picked in 1997 and you can see if you disagree:

1997 — LB Derrick Rodgers, LB Ronnie Ward, T Brent Smith
1998 — LB Brad Jackson, WR Larry Shannon
1999 — C Grey Ruegamer
2000 — CB Ben Kelly
2001 — RB Travis Minor, LB Morlon Greenwood
2002 — C Seth McKinney
2003 — T Wade Smith, G Taylor Whitley
2004 — None
2005 — LB Channing Crowder
2006 — WR Derek Hagan
2007 — RB Lorenzo Booker
2008 — DT Kendall Langford
2009 — WR Patrick Turner
2010 — G John Jerry
2011 — None
2012 — DE Olivier Vernon, TE Michael Egnew
2013 — T Dallas Thomas, CB Will Davis
2014 — T Billy Turner
2015 — None
2016 — RB Kenyan Drake, WR Leonte Carroo
2017 — CB Cordrea Tankersley
2018 — LB Jerome Baker
2019 — G Michael Deiter
2020 — S Brandon Jones
2021 — TE Hunter Long
2022 — LB Channing Tindall
2023 — RB De'Von Achane
2024 — None
2025 — None

The other notable Dolphins third-round picks would include safety Dick Anderson in 1968, running back Mercury Morris in 1969, defensive back Tim Foley in 1970, wide receiver Nat Moore in 1974, and running back Tony Nathan in 1979.

Anderson, the 1973 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, probably stands out as the second-best third-round pick behind Taylor, with Moore and Nathan probably next.

Given how dynamic Achane has been the past two seasons, he already might have a case to come in right after that group of players.

What's undeniable is that this was one pick that Grier most definitely got right.