Devon Achane
Getty
Miami Dolphins running back Devon Achane.
Sometimes NFL trades end up being about just finding a mark — some executive or head coach so gullible and easily deceived that you can pump them up to think they’re really making moves when in reality they’re running their franchise into the ground.
In the case of the Denver Broncos, that mark just might be the Miami Dolphins.
The Broncos already got the Dolphins to cough up 1 star in a trade to bring star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to Denver, and Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport thinks they might be able to do it again with another trade for running back De’Von Achane.
“(Dolphins general manager) Jon-Eric Sullivan said he is working on an extension for the 2023 third-rounder, but when voluntary workouts started in Miami, Achane was unsurprisingly absent,” Davenport wrote on Friday. “Frankly, the offers that are being projected by some are underwhelming, even with the Texas A&M product about to sign an extension that should average at least $15 million per season. If a team comes to the Dolphins with a beefier offer, though, Sullivan would likely reconsider his stance on Achane.”
The key to a deal for Achane might be convincing the Dolphins that they’ll still need a backfield as they pull off what should be 1 of the more incredible tank jobs in NFL history in 2026. That might mean shipping 2nd year running back RJ Harvey and a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick to the Dolphins for the Pro Bowler, which would be more than worth it.
De’Von Achane: NFL Superstar on Terrible Team
Achane might be the 1 great NFL superstar playing currently who no one has really gotten hip to yet.
At Texas A&M, Achane was a 2-sport star in football and track and earned All-SEC honors in 2022 after rushing for 1,102 yards and 8 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry over 3 seasons. He left school with 1 year of eligibility remaining and ran a blazing, 4.32-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine — the fastest out of all the running backs — but dropped to the 3rd round (No. 84 overall) over concerns over his size at 5-foot-9 and 191 pounds.
In 3 seasons with the Dolphins, he’s been 1 of the NFL’s elite running backs as the team got increasingly worse each year. As a rookie in 2023, Achane rushed for 800 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in just 11 games. He also set the NFL record for highest rushing yards per attempt (7.8) with at least 100 carries.
In 2024, Achane put up 1,499 yards of total offense and scored 12 touchdowns then took the ceiling off in 2025 with 1,838 yards of total offense — over 1,300 yards rushing — and 12 touchdowns on the way to earning his 1st Pro Bowl selection.
Broncos Traded Promising Young Talent in Past
While the idea of trading away Harvey might seem anathema to Broncos fans right now, head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have dealt away young talent in the past.
After 6-foot-5, 210-pound wide receiver De’Vaughn Vele had 41 receptions for 475 yards and 3 touchdowns as a rookie in 11 games in 2024 and seemed primed to make an even bigger impact in his 2nd season, the Broncos traded him to the New Orleans Saints in August 2025 in exchange for a 2026 4th round pick and 2027 7th round pick.