Dolphins Head Coach Jeff Hafley's introduction to running back De'Von Achane came in 2024, during a Thanksgiving night matchup at Lambeau Field. Then the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, Hafley lost sleep when he had to construct a game plan to slow Miami's dynamic back.
"I had not been exposed to him," Hafley said. "And I said, this is a guy that's not talked enough about in the NFL, and I don't understand why and he's making me lose sleep, and I think he's the most dynamic player on the team."
Fast forward two years, Achane lands at No. 26 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2026.
"It's his vision, it's his acceleration," Hafley said. "But I think what's under looked with Achane is how smart of a player he is and I've said that before. You can have some really awesome conversations with him about protection, about what he sees, about what the defense is doing."
By the numbers, by the tape, by any metric, Achane has been a force since the first time he stepped on an NFL field. He made his debut in 2023 playing just two snaps in Week 2 against the New England Patriots, but he emphatically appeared on the NFL radar just a week later. With four touchdowns and 233 yards from scrimmage against the Denver Broncos, Achane became the second player in NFL history with at least 200 yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in a game (Billy Cannon in 1961).
After finishing his rookie season with 7.8 yards per carry, Achane continues to rewrite record books. He led the NFL in 2025 with 5.7 yards per carry. His 1,838 yards from scrimmage were the second-most in Dolphins franchise history trailing only Ricky Williams in 2002 (2,216).
In three years as a pro, Achane has rushed for 3,057 yards on just 544 carries, good for a 5.6 yards per rush. He has added another 1,277 receiving yards and scored 35 touchdowns in 44 career games played.
Achane was voted to his first Pro Bowl in 2025 and inked a contract extension with the Dolphins this offseason. Achane is part of a triumvirate in Miami that has been described as the pillars of the roster by General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
"When you get paid around here, it's gonna be based on performance," Sullivan said. "And it goes without saying, when you turn on the tape, [inside linebacker] Jordyn Brooks, [center] Aaron Brewer and Achane, they're making a ton of plays."
The NFL Top 100 reveals players daily on X. New player segments are revealed weekdays at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. eastern. Full episodes and clips are also uploaded to the NFL YouTube Channel.
