Dolphins meet running backs at NFL Scouting Combine as backfield set to hit free agency
The Dolphins’ backfield could be empty by the time free agency opens at 4 p.m. on March 15. Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Myles Gaskin are all impending unrestricted free agents, and Salvon Ahmed is a restricted free agent.
General manager Chris Grier said the Dolphins are “very open” to bringing back Mostert and Wilson, who have a relationship with coach Mike McDaniel dating to their time with the San Francisco 49ers. But given the uncertainty of the position, the Dolphins could add a running back in the 2023 Draft, a recent history of not investing recent draft picks in the position.
The last time the Dolphins drafted a running back in the first three rounds of the Draft was in 2016 when the team selected Kenyan Drake with the No. 73 overall pick. Drake led the team in rushing in 2017 but over the years, Miami’s leading rushers have consisted of Day 3 picks and undrafted free agents such as Gaskin and Jay Ajayi, inexpensive free-agent additions such as Mostert and Frank Gore and even quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2019.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah on a conference call last week called the running back class “really deep.” He said he gave 13 players grades within the top-three rounds, which is starting-level talent as a rookie. But given the league’s perception of running backs and positional value, he thinks many could drop to Day 3 as fourth- and fifth-round picks.
“I think if there’s a really good player, an opportunity to get a really good player, we can’t pass up anything right now,” Grier said Wednesday. “We need some depth at some spots and at running back, obviously with no one under contract on the roster right now, would be one. And there are some good players in this draft. So we’ll always keep looking and you guys know how Mike loves his running backs.”
Last offseason, the Dolphins not only prioritized familiarity with McDaniel’s scheme but speed. Mostert has registered the two fastest times by a ball carrier since 2018 and Chase Edmonds, who was traded to the Denver Broncos last November, entered the 2022 season with the highest rate of carries timed at 15 mph.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the Dolphins met a pair of Day 2 and Day 3 prospects — Texas A&M’s Devon Achane and Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn — who could another layer of explosiveness to an offense headlined by wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The 5-9, 185-pound Achane is a track star who backed up Isaiah Spiller before taking over lead-back duties in 2022 and recording almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage.
“I feel like I have great vision,” Achane said Saturday. “I feel like I can control my speed. I can make one cut and I always make sure I’m always north and south.”
Vaughn, 5-6 and 175 pounds, was a consensus All-American at the all-purpose position and the only player in the nation to record 1,500 rushing yards and 350 receiving yards.
Both Achane and Vaughn also have return experience, which could be a boon for a Dolphins special teams unit that lacked a consistent option, but face questions about their size, particularly as pass protectors.
“I feel like I took great strides [as a blocker] throughout my time at Kansas State but there is still something I can work on,” Vaughn said. “Working on my lower extremities, seeing my hands to the pads, making sure that I’m patient in the blocking game. There are a lot of things where you can go and smack it but if you miss — it’s good to make contact and hold on for a half-second for the ball to get off rather than miss.”
The Dolphins also met with Syracuse’s Sean Tucker, a bigger back who could offer a mix of physicality and speed. Like Achane, the 5-10 and 205-pound Tucker competed in track in college as a sprinter. And in 2021, Tucker set a program record at Syracuse with 1,496 rushing yards.
Experts have said Tucker, a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect, has the potential to be a lead back in the NFL but needs improvement as a blocker and receiver.
McDaniel said the Dolphins are open to players with a variety of traits but seek versatility in any additions.
“We have good players surrounding the running back position so you’ve got to be willing to pass block and do things off the ball,” McDaniel said Tuesday. “I think there are many different types of running backs that can excel in this offense given whatever their skill sets are, so to me, I just want team-oriented guys that enjoy getting the ball, fighting for yardage and trying to win football games as a result. So I’m very open-minded to all the skill sets across the board and just looking for guys that are completely invested in joining our ongoing process to be as good as we can be.”
