De'Von Achane one of most underrated, under-discussed players in NFL

MIAMI GARDENS ― Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley was preparing to face De’Von Achane as defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers a few seasons ago.

As Hafley watched video in preparation, confusion set in.

“This is a guy that’s not talked enough about in the NFL and I don’t understand why,” Hafley recalled thining. “He’s making me lose sleep, and I think he’s the most dynamic player on the team.”

Two years later, Achane is still underrated and underdiscussed.

Why? How is this possible?

Achane, 24, was the Dolphins‘ only Pro Bowler last season. And he was team MVP.

So we can stay that Achane’s peers and the media, and some fantasy football fans, at a minimum, did recognize his talents.

ESPN now ranks Achane as the sixth-best running back for fantasy purposes and we can assume he would be higher if he played for a team that wasn’t projected to win four or five games.

Yes, that’s the first problem for Achane. He’s not going to be featured on ESPN’s NFL Live or NFL Network’s Good Morning Football often because the team is off most NFL radars.

The second reason Achane is likely underrated is he is not a big talker.

Achane is a good teammate. But he’s soft-spoken in front of the cameras and microphones.

“Fun guy to be around,” Hafley said. “And then just I watch him, how he’ll, in his own way, go from player to player and help him out and push him and lead him. I think he’s growing as a leader and we need him to do so.”

Achane is a lead-by-example type. And he’s not the type to demand the ball or guarantee 2,000 rushing yards or predict he’ll go over 200 on Sunday.

And to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Achane led the NFL in yards per rush at 5.7.

Yet a national perception may be that the Dolphins’ run game – and offensive line – were atrocious last season. That wasn’t always the full story.

Achane posted 1,838 yards from scrimmage last season.

should be considered among NFL elite stars

That should put Achane into super star status in the NFL. It should be very difficult for Achane to walk down the street or at the mall in South Florida without being mobbed.

Achane might prefer that not be the case. And it certainly isn’t.

Perhaps this is mostly about winning.

If Achane were to be MVP of a Super Bowl in, say, 2029, his status would be elevated.

Achane would also go down as an all-time Miami sports hero. But we are a long, long way from that.

And it’s likely also true that as a running back he could never reach the celebrity of a quarterback like Dan Marino. There are no stars like quarterbacks.

was Dolphins’ only Pro Bowler in 2026

The hardest-to-explain ranking for Achane at the moment may be from EA Sports’ Madden NFL 27.

EA Sports grades Achane as the 11th-best running back in the game, which drops this week.

Respectfully, that’s absurd and borderline disrespectful.

He’s ranked behind Kyren Williams of the Rams?

Hafley speaks glowingly of Achane’s vision, acceleration and smarts.

The Dolphins, to pay Achane $16 million a season on a new deal, clearly recognize his value as a rusher and a receiver. And, despite his size, Achane has been durable and willing to rush inside as well as outside.

Underrated? Yes. Underdiscussed, nationally? Yes.

The Dolphins’ best player entering 2026, by a wide margin? Also yes.

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Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: De’Von Achane one of most underrated, under-discussed players in NFL