De'Von Achane lands at No. 26 on NFL Top 100, Dolphins say

De'Von Achane is ranked No. 26 on the NFL Top 100 list, an annual measure of league-wide respect voted on by players. The Dolphins highlighted the placement in a team release on August 12, underscoring that the honor comes from peer evaluation rather than club executives or media panels.

The Dolphins’ announcement also tied the ranking to a specific memory from earlier in Achane’s career. Miami head coach Jeff Hafley said he first learned the full challenge of stopping Achane in 2024 during a Thanksgiving night game at Lambeau Field, when Hafley was then the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. According to the Dolphins, that matchup was the kind of evening that kept him awake as he worked on a plan to slow Miami’s run-game threat.

Achane’s No. 26 spot places him inside the list’s upper tier, where the league’s voters tend to concentrate their highest votes on players who regularly swing games through impact plays. In that framework, the Dolphins’ message is clear: they view Achane not only as a productive runner, but as a game-altering weapon whose presence forces adjustments from the opening snap to the final drive.

The Top 100 process adds context to why a single ranking can matter beyond the offseason. Because the list is built from votes by active players, it functions as a snapshot of who opponents believe are hardest to prepare for, not simply who posted the best statistics in a given span. For Miami, a placement near the top third of the list is an external confirmation of the role Achane plays in their offensive identity and opponents’ defensive planning.

Hafley’s recollection reinforces how Achane’s effectiveness is understood across teams and coaching staffs. The Dolphins linked their current head coach’s past defensive experience directly to Achane’s profile, framing the moment at Lambeau as evidence of why a back with elite explosiveness changes how defenses must operate. When a player compresses space with speed and touches, it can shift everything around him, from gap discipline to how aggressively teams can play run fits.

For fans, the ranking offers a simple storyline to follow as the season approaches: if Achane continues to force those same types of tactical responses, Miami will likely benefit from the pressure he creates for defenses to account for both the ground game and the threat of explosive runs. The Dolphins’ acknowledgement also sets an expectation for his continued centrality to the offense, since player-voted recognition is typically reserved for impact that is visible to everyone on the field.

There is one caveat in how to read the honor. A ranking reflects perception at the time of voting, which may not perfectly track every matchup-specific detail from week to week. Even so, the Dolphins’ framing and Hafley’s firsthand account point to a consistent theme: Achane is widely viewed as a problem that demands a plan, and sometimes disrupts the plan entirely.