A brand-new season of Dolphins football is around the corner and we're getting you ready for the start of training camp!
Over the next two weeks, we'll be looking at the entirety of the Dolphins 91-man roster and providing a cheat sheet for when the action begins at the Baptist Health Training Complex.
Running Backs
It's difficult to find a classification for Dolphins running back De'Von Achane. Between his ability to hit the big run, generate yards after contact, score on screen passes and run polished routes from a wide receiver alignment, perhaps the best designation is the simplest one: he's productive. Just shy of 2,500 total yards from scrimmage across two seasons, Achane's efficiency is in rare air.
Achane leads all NFL backs with 5.6 yards per carry since the start of the 2023 season. He also scored six receiving touchdowns in 2024 and produced 673 yards after the catch, most among NFL backs.
The room beyond Achane is an intriguing blend of youth, veteran experience and excellent fits for Miami's complex run scheme, led by veteran Running Backs Coach Eric Studesville.
The Cast (In numerical order):
- 8 Alexander Mattison
- 25 Jaylen Wright
- 28 De'Von Achane
- 30 Alec Ingold (fullback)
- 31 Ollie Gordon II
- 38 Nate Noel
Achane went from a change-of-pace home run hitter as a rookie to the bell cow in his sophomore campaign. The workload behind Achane was split largely between Raheem Mostert and then-rookie Jaylen Wright.
Wright, back for Year 2, is poised for a bigger role. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright broke 16 tackles on just 89 rushing attempts and produced eight runs of 10-plus yards. He also had a pair of 30-plus-yard runs called back on penalties. His 13-carry, 86-yard performance in New England, after Achane exited due to injury, helped lift the Dolphins to a critical victory.
"I see a guy that's ready to earn growth to a game that's already top tier within the National Football League," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. "He's humbly approaching his craft, attacking it, so that he's not satisfied with any part of his game."
The Dolphins added Alexander Mattison to the backfield, who's entering his seventh year as a pro. He spent his first five years in the league with the Vikings including three under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, who employs a run-system akin to the Dolphins attack. At 220 pounds, and a downhill mentality, Mattison is 21-for-26 converting first downs on third-or-fourth down and short (three yards or less to gain).
Rookie Ollie Gordon II was the 2023 Doak Walker Award winner (the best running back in college football). Recent recipients of that award include Ashton Jeanty, Bijan Robinson, Kenneth Walker, Najee Harris, Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. Gordon II gained more than 3,500 yards from scrimmage and scored 40 touchdowns in three years at Oklahoma State.
Miami also picked up Nate Noel as an undrafted free agent. After four years at Appalachian State, Noel transferred to Missouri for the 2024 season. In total, he gained 4,208 yards from scrimmage and scored 21 touchdowns as a collegian.
Finally, the glue of the room: fullback Alec Ingold. One of the best in the game, Ingold is a critical feature of the Dolphins offense. McDaniel detailed just how important Ingold is to the entire operation.
"Accountable teammate that not only is he executing and getting better and better at the point of attack, but simply put, a fullback in the run game for offenses is the ultimate point guard for the offensive line, helping their angles and their leverage and their ability to block talented athletes," McDaniel said.
The Dolphins will be back on the field later this month for training camp, and you can be in the stands at the Baptist Health Training Complex starting Saturday, July 26. Parking and admission are free, but tickets must be reserved. Learn more here.
