When the Dolphins lost De’Von Achane for the season, the conversation naturally turned to who would take the carries. Ollie Gordon and Jaylen Wright are now in the spotlight. But Miami’s bigger problem is harder to solve than a simple backfield rotation: it has to replace Achane’s explosiveness.
That’s where Malik Washington comes in.
Achane wasn’t just a running back who piled up touches. He stressed defenses because he could do damage all over the field.
He could run inside, catch passes out of the backfield, shift around the formation and turn a routine touch into a big gain. Miami now needs someone who can create that same kind of headache for defensive coordinators, and Washington has a case as the best fit on the roster.
The common label for Washington has been “gadget receiver,” and under Mike McDaniel, that was often how he was used. Screens, jet sweeps, reverses and return work were the easiest ways to get him involved.
But that view sells him short. At Virginia in 2023, he set single-season school records with 110 receptions and 1,426 receiving yards.
That wasn’t the profile of a mere possession target. It was the profile of a player built to generate yards after the catch and make people miss in space.
This season has already shown a bit more of that fuller package. Through three games, Washington has 12 catches for 152 yards, good for 12.7 yards per reception.
Coaches have also been talking all summer about how much he has grown as a receiver. Back in August, Jeff Hafley pointed to his route work and overall consistency:
“Just his overall route running. … I think a lot of people might think of him as a bubble guy, a catch and run guy, a quick screen guy, a get him the ball on a hitch and let him run. Just him at the top of the routes and I think him really trying to master the route tree and the techniques that are being asked to do, and just his overall consistency of how he approaches every day.”
What separates Washington from a lot of the other options is how many jobs he can handle. Miami can use him outside, in the slot, in motion, in the backfield, as a returner or on designed touches.
He even said this week, “I think I could play a lot, man. I still throw the ball.
I still keep my arm warm just in case, so I’m prepared for whatever.”
The staff already has plans for him in these kinds of situations. After Sunday’s game, Hafley said, “Malik Washington, I told you guys yesterday that’s a role that Bobby’s had plays in for him and he did a nice job stepping up.”
So while Miami still plans to stay run-heavy and while Wright and Gordon will both matter, Washington offers something different. He is not going to become a 20-carry running back.
That’s not the point. The Dolphins need someone who can help recreate the creativity and unpredictability they lost with Achane, and Washington is the player on the roster most built for that task.
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Jacob Rodriguez Is Giving Dolphins Fans A New Reason To Believe
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The buzz has followed him beyond the locker room, with betting markets now treating him like a serious Defensive Rookie of the Year contender. Rodriguez has welcomed the attention, but he has kept the focus on the bigger picture and the kind of team success Miami needs if his early rise is going to mean anything in the long run. For the Dolphins, the encouraging part is not just the numbers, but how quickly he has become someone they can trust in the middle of it all. [Read more 🡒]