The Miami Dolphins have already made one running back decision for the long haul, and that move changes everything else in the room.
De’Von Achane is locked in after the team signed him to an extension and secured him for another three seasons, so his place on the roster is not in doubt. The real question now is how Miami sorts out the rest of the depth chart as camp winds down, and whether the Dolphins carry three backs or squeeze in a fourth at the expense of another position.
Achane’s job is set. The more interesting debate is what comes behind him.
Jaylen Wright opened the offseason as the biggest unknown in the group, but he has done enough to stay in the mix. His work under Mike McDaniel only offered flashes, and he never got the kind of steady carries that would have settled his future.
Under Bobby Slowik, though, he has shown more. Wright started camp strongly before slipping back into some of the same old issues, and his production has dipped again, but there’s still no real reason to think he won’t make the team.
Ollie Gordon II was the early favorite to sit in the second-team spot, but Wright pushed his way into that role. Gordon’s camp got off to an uneven start before he steadied himself, and the Dolphins still value the physical toughness he brings. Even after he was pulled in the preseason game against the Commanders, he remains very much in the picture.
That leaves the Dolphins with a potentially tricky numbers game. Miami could keep only three running backs to start the season and lean on the practice squad for depth, which would be the cleaner route for Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan. Outside of the top three, the other backs haven’t done enough to force the team’s hand.
Donovan Edwards sits closest to the bubble. At minimum, he looks like a fourth-back option, and if Miami does decide to keep four, he should be the choice. The Dolphins have liked what they’ve seen, but with roster spots at a premium, he may be better suited as an emergency practice squad option.
Carlos Washington, Jr. is a long shot. There’s almost no path to the 53-man roster, and the only real question is whether he has shown enough to stick around on the practice squad. That will depend on how the Dolphins fill out that unit, but for now he’s a camp body.
Then there’s the most complicated piece of all: D.J. Herman.
The undrafted rookie is listed as a fullback and tight end, and he is fighting uphill in a different way. As a fullback, he has no direct competition, but the bigger issue is whether Bobby Slowik will even need that spot in his scheme. McDaniel leaned on Alec Ingold for the job in recent years, but Herman’s chances depend on how the new setup values the position.
What he has given Miami is physical blocking, and that part of his game could matter. The Dolphins could use a bulldozer in front of their running backs, and Herman’s style gives him a real shot at the 53 despite being on the fringe.
Sims is in that same tight-end/fullback mix, and Miami kept him off the field against the Giants, which could point to him having the starting job secured. He hasn’t made much noise in camp either way, and in a crowded battle like this, that kind of quiet can work in a player’s favor.
In Other News...
Dolphins Could Pull Off A Franchise Reset Without Losing A Blue-Chip Weapon
If the Dolphins ever found themselves on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in 2027, the conversation in Miami would get interesting in a hurry. ESPNs Jordan Reid floated a mock-draft scenario in which the Dolphins move down with Cleveland, add a haul of picks, and still come away with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, giving the franchise a way to reset its draft capital without giving up a blue-chip pass catcher.
The appeal of the idea is obvious from Miamis perspective: a trade like that would bring back multiple first-rounders, a fourth-round pick and a future second-rounder, while still leaving the team positioned to land one of the most intriguing offensive prospects in the class. It is only a projection at this point, not a real deal, but it underscores how a top pick could become more than just a single-player decision if Miami ever gets that opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins End Camp With Roster Battles And New Injury Questions
Miamis training camp wrapped up with an indoor session that leaned into red zone work and late-game situations, a fitting way to close a month defined as much by competition as by conditioning. Several players made their case in the final practice, with Malik Willis, Malik Washington and rookie Caleb Douglas among those who stood out, while the staff also got a look at a few players returning from injury as the team tried to sort out roles before the next phase of the preseason.
Jeff Hafley spent part of the day giving injury updates, and that remains the other big camp storyline for the Dolphins as they move from evaluation to decisions. Some players were unavailable or limited, which only adds to the roster pressure after a camp that has already featured enough on-field intrigue to make the final cut conversations more complicated than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Have A Linebacker Decision They Cant Ignore
The Dolphins are spending camp exploring just how flexible their defense can be, and that has put the linebacker room in an especially interesting spot. Under Jeff Hafley, Miami has been mixing and matching personnel to cover roster needs, and the group at the second level has become one of the deeper areas on the team. Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson bring established experience, while Jacob Rodriguez and Jackson Woodard have added more competition to the mix.
Woodard has drawn attention for the way he has played despite some athletic limitations, and that is part of what makes this a tougher evaluation than it might have looked a few weeks ago. Miami is not just sorting through who can help on defense, but who can also add value on special teams, and those overlapping jobs can shape the final roster picture as much as anything else. The Dolphins have options here, but the challenge now is deciding which combination gives them the most reliable return. [Read more 🡒]