Could De’Von Achane become Miami’s No. 3 receiving option?

De’Von Achane showcased game-breaking speed with an average of 7.8 yards on 103 carries last season and is gearing up to be a well-rounded threat moving forward.

The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones reported that Achane had two offseason goals — getting strong and improving his route-running. Last season he played in only 11 games because of a preseason shoulder sprain and an MCL sprain suffered against the New York Giants.

When healthy, he saw at least three targets in seven games and finished the year with 27 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns — on top of 800 yards on the ground.

“During OTAs, I was going out there running routes with them when they weren’t here,” Achane said. “I did that with them. Basically, why not? Our receiver room is one of the greatest, and if I want to do the stuff they want me to do, might as well take tips and learn from them.”

All signs point to Odell Beckham Jr. being No. 3 on the wide receiver depth chart and the addition of Jonne Smith creates opportunities at tight end, but remember that passing to running backs is a theme in Mike McDaniel’s offense.

Miami’s 125 running back targets were fifth-most in the NFL last season, which is interesting considering that tight end Durham Smythe was third on the team with just 43 targets. The Dolphins struggled to find a consistent threat out of the backfield as five different backs saw at least 15 targets.

With a year to improve durability and better understand the offense, there’s a path for Achane to emerge as the team’s third receiving option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

He created a league-best 4.94 yards after contact per attempt last season, which led the NFL. With an improved focus on catching the football, Achane can take fewer chances of facing physical defensive linemen in the trenches while continuing to be featured in one of the league’s best offenses.

As a rookie, things picked up for Achane by Dec. 3, closing the season with at least three targets in six of the season’s final seven games, including three receptions on six targets against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round.

Despite the slow start for Achane, Miami tried to get other running backs involved through the air. Salvon Ahmed saw at least three targets in six games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Raheem Mostert caught seven pass attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos but saw at least three targets just four times. He averaged roughly one target per game from Oct. 29 through Jan. 13.

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The Dolphins improved the running back room by selecting Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft, but the second-team ALL-SEC tailback now faces the same rookie-related hurdles Achane battled last year.

Miami enters the season stacked with top-end talent and there’s expected to be competition for snaps at running back. That said, there are signs suggesting Achane’s headed toward a breakout campaign in 2024.