RB Devon Achane
(I know at the Combine, you had said that you had met with the Dolphins and it was reported that you had spent some time with them. Just what were those interactions like in the pre-draft process and did you have a good feel that you were going to be in Miami?) – “It was great. Like you said, I met with them a couple times. I took a visit there. One of my 30 visits was to Miami and like you said, interacted with some of the players, some of the coaches. Coach Mike McDaniel, he’s a great coach, great man all the way around. He wants to use me in his offense and so I was glad that they picked me.”
(So you’re really fast and you’re joining an offense that has a lot of really fast players – WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, RB Raheem Mostert. What do you think about being in this high-powered Dolphins offense with so many speedsters?) – “It’s going to be a real scary offense. Like you said, we’re all pretty fast. I feel like it’s going to be very competitive at practice and like you said, Coach McDaniel – when I had that talk with him, he was saying that he planned on building the fastest team in the NFL. So by adding me to that piece, that’s something that’s, like that’s a guarantee. So it’s going to be real fun and competitive at practice. I just can’t wait to get there.”
(I know you had a big game in the Orange Bowl. What does it mean that you’re playing back here in Hard Rock Stadium now? Have you thought about just the coincidence?) – “I wouldn’t say I thought I was wishing this, but like I said, when I played at the Hard Rock Stadium for the first time, I was voted MVP so hopefully I can keep that going. And I’m just happy and blessed that I’m able to come out there in Miami and just be down there. I’m just happy that I’m in his offense – Coach McDaniel’s offense. He’s a great coach and I feel like with my ability, he knows what to do with it.”
(I wanted to ask you, General Manager Chris Grier had mentioned having you on a 30-visit here prior to the draft and I was just curious to get your perspective on how that visit went, what you thought of the building and the people in the building down here?) – “It was great. Like you said, I went around the building, the facility. It was nice. When I came down there, it was a little rainy, so I guess it was a little luck that I came down there on that day. Everybody was saying it really doesn’t rain down here, but it still was a pretty fun visit. Me and Jaylen Waddle, we’re really good friends. We communicate, so I feel like me being there and the visit that I took and the interactions with the coaches were great as well. So I just feel like I was able to be myself and I was very, very comfortable.”
(I’m curious when did you and WR Jaylen Waddle meet?) – “We knew each other since when I was in high school and he was in high school. We both played for AAU basketball … when we were little, so I’ve kind of known him for some time.”
(I see everything that you can do as far as the slot and kickoff return and out of the backfield. How is the best way that you can be used for the Dolphins, do you think?) – “Like you said, I’m a very unique player. I have a very unique skillset. I feel like I can do a lot. I can be at running back. I can line up at receiver and they also might want to use me on special teams, so I feel like me having all those good abilities, I feel like it’s hard for a defense to be able to cover us when we’ve already got threats that are already on the team. I just feel like me getting added to this offense is very scary.”
(What about running between the tackles? I see your size and we look at that and think, “I’m not sure he can do that.” Can you run between the tackles and is that a good way to use you?) – “Yes, sir. I feel like I can run between the tackles, outside. Like when I was at A&M, I feel like most of my runs were in between the tackles. Everybody sees me as the fastest guy, so they think he just wants to run outside, but most of my runs and my touchdowns were in between the tackles so I feel like I can run anywhere. If the ball is in my hands, I feel like I’m capable to do great things with it and me running in between the tackles is not a problem that I have.”
(What was it like when you met Head Coach Mike McDaniel?) – “It was great, man. He’s a great coach, got a funny sense of humor. He always keeps you on your toes. I’m a very fast guy so he will come up and ask me like a funny question like, ‘are you still fast?’ He’s just a great coach all the way around. So me, having a coach such as him, I feel like I’m just thankful and blessed that he’s my coach and I can’t wait to get out there and just see what he has in store for me.”
(In 12 years, the Dolphins have only used a first, second or third round pick on a running back one time before. It’s a good trivia question. It was an Alabama guy, third rounder. Do you know who it was?) – “No, I don’t.”
(RB Kenyan Drake. The question I’ll ask you is about the value of the running back position. Some people say running backs don’t get drafted as high, now I know two did get drafted high in this year’s draft. And some people say running backs aren’t going to get paid. What do you think about the value of the running back to the football team, the position?) – “I feel like you said, a lot of people think that running backs won’t get paid a lot. Like you said, it’s an example of this past draft – two running backs got drafted really early in the first round. Where I came from at A&M, my coach always said, ‘Running backs, we start with the energy that we need,’ so when we’re going, I feel like the whole team is going. So if you have a great running back and a good running game, I feel like you excite the team.”
(I just had a question related to your college coach, Jimbo Fisher. What’s the lesson that you take away from him? What stands out to you the most about Jimbo Fisher? What are some things that you’re going to bring with you to the NFL, some lessons that he taught you?) – “He’s a great coach. I was happy to be able to be under him for three years. He taught me a lot. We all had that relationship with him that we could talk about football, and we talk about real life, and he always kept it 100 with me. He always kept it real. That was something I liked about him. He never lied to me. I feel like we had a relationship where if I needed something or if there was something I needed an answer to, he was able to give me that. So man, just learning from him, he always said, ‘People are going to … but as long as you’ve got the confidence and the mentality that I have and you’re confident in yourself, you can go out there and do whatever you want.’ He always told me, ‘People are going to have their opinions on you on social media.’ He always told me, ‘Don’t worry about social media, just go out there and play and do what you do.’”
(Just wanted to ask you first, what does it feel like to be the first Aggie off the board in this draft to you and just kind of that initial reaction when you heard your name called and what was going through your mind?) – “I’m very thankful to be the first Aggie off the board. I’m just excited. I’m rooting for my other two brothers that are Aggies as well. I was very excited when I had my name called. I have friends and a big family that’s supporting me right now, and I was thankful to be able to achieve my dreams. For me to have my family and friends behind me, I obviously was very excited in the moment. I’m just thankful that I was able to make my mom proud.”
General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Mike McDaniel
Chris Grier:
(With the first pick at No. 51, you guys go with CB Cam Smith, which was maybe a surprise to a lot of outsiders just given the depth and the talent that you have. Was that an example of best player available? What did you see in him there?) – “Cam is a very talented football player. We’re excited to add him and competition we’ll always add at every position, as we’ve talked about here. So it was the opportunity for us to, at that point in the draft, add a really talented football player that fit. In this league and especially in the AFC, with a lot of talented quarterbacks and teams, we can never have enough corners as we experienced last year with the rash of injuries that we dealt with. So excited to add him, he’s excited to come, so we’re looking forward to working with him.”
(Why do you think he fits well in Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense?) – “He’s a talented athlete. He’s versatile. He’s played a lot outside. He’s played nickel. It’s just the football player and the instincts, so we’re just excited. We thought he was a good fit and where he was in the draft, we just couldn’t pass on the opportunity.”
(How much did your son help you in terms of the character?) – “(laughter) I mean, he does help, but our scouts did a great job. I’ve known Shane Beamer for a long time as well, and then ‘T Rob’ (Travaris Robinson) and Will Muschamp recruited him there, so a lot of good friends that are good sources and talking to about the player. Landon gave his input. We asked. Obviously, he’s in the room with him every day and around him and they have a relationship, but the first time I really met him was at the combine. But it did help. It was just another piece of information for us.”
(Tight end and offensive line could be justified as more positions of need. Was this guy significantly higher on your board than any of the tight ends or offensive linemen available?) – “You know, when we do our board, we go through it, and there were a lot of good players that were picked too ahead of us. We look at every position, we go through it. I think you guys are probably more worried than we are, in terms of the position depth at those spots you talked about. But at the end of the day, we added a good football player. We’re happy. And like we say, it doesn’t end with the draft. There’s still guys we’re talking to in free agency, on the streets. So we’re still working through it, and we’ll keep adding the players we think fit for us.”
Mike McDaniel:
(RB Devon Achane ran a 4.32 40-yard dash. Can you describe the visions you have for that kind of speed in your offense?) – “I mean, speed we generally like around here. But I think it’s more of you feel like there’s a fit in terms of a guy fitting within your existing team. You’re always keeping in mind that you’re adding players to team and really think that that group in particular, the running back room for us is very important. You find a person and player that fits your skill set that you like but also that fits within the room because we have some other good competition in there as well. So we’re real excited to add player to a group. And he is fast. Chris and I share that – we do have affection for that trait.”
(When you look at player acquisition, I’m wondering if you look at it as a continuum? We know last year you added players at the trade deadline. How do you view it? Is it ever too late to add a player to your team?) – “Absolutely. Chris and I are lock and step on that where you’re trying to do the best thing, as your collection of people have decided, that’s available to you at the time. So you always try to position yourself and go into the draft to be able to take the best player, regardless of position. Sometimes you have depth more in other places than not, but we’re not going to take away the opportunity to have good players on our team. It’s more of the players shape what the team looks like. If we have the ability to get a good player, we’ll never turn that down. There was a lot of action. We’ve had a lot of contributors that we added to our team post-draft last year that were very impactful during the regular season, as well as post the first game of the season. So you’re always tinkering. That’s something I’m pretty sure that Chris might be half-vampire, because he’s never sleeping because he’s always evaluating something. (laughter) I think that will always be the case with us.
(Mike, we saw a reaction of you when the RB Devon Achane pick was made. It seemed like you were a bit enthused about it. Was this a player that you…) – “This is just camaraderie between two work associates. Certain people have opinions that he’ll be there, certain people don’t. I was really excited that Chris was right that a player was there. You get excited about all the players. Really, it’s down to the TV producers who decide when they catch you, because apparently, as it’s become aware to me that the first pick, I was texting my wife and had my shoe on the table. We get excited for all our players, and that’s just because of the amount of work that we all put in over an extended period of time to figure out who those players are.”
(A quick follow up, you didn’t think he’d be there at that point?) – “Really, all of the players that I like in general, I’m kind of a pessimist in the draft because you want to be prepared for all specific situations, really. I think Chris has caught on to that. And yeah, I didn’t think he was going to be there. But that happens every draft and really I was very hopeful for both of our selections, but wasn’t totally positive they’d be there. I’m very excited about that opportunity we had.”
Chris Grier:
“If you could have heard what he said, he had the room laughing. But I can’t repeat it. (laughter)”
Mike McDaniel:
“It was a safe place, which you know some things – you’re on a team for a reason. You’ve got to have some secrets. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Chris, I think this is the earliest you’ve taken a running back since 2016 with Kenyan Drake. You usually opt for seventh round guys or late round guys. What is it about RB Devon Achane that made you break your own habits here or is it that 4.32 speed?) – “Well, Kenyan was fast as well too. This is probably about two years we’ve watched him. We talked about him last year a little bit with some of the flashes you saw out of him. Then just watching him this year and getting to know him, we brought him in on a 30-visit and spent some time with him and got to know him as a person. We watched film and probably about two or three weeks ago, Mike was convicted in his love for the player. We all were but he was very effusive.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yes, I was. And I’m very proud of myself for being a good secret keeper. I just talk to myself a lot in my car because I had to tell somebody about it. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Chris, how could you describe the level of activity in trade talks to move up or down between last night or tonight?) – “Last night was a complete bore, snore. We got no calls. It was awful. Tonight, we had a lot of activity, a lot of calls, as you saw with all the trades people were making. Before our pick with Cam (Smith), we had some action – a lot of action. And then with this pick too with Devon (Achane), we had a lot of action. A lot of tempting offers, but we liked the players that were there so we chose to pick them.”
(Do you prefer to draft a player at a position where that player doesn’t have to necessarily step in and have the pressure to play right away? Obviously with CB Cam Smith, he might start, he might not. He might play outside, he might play inside. He might fill in based on injury. He might be so good he needs to start. Is that a luxury? Are the Dolphins in a position of luxury in drafting at this time?) – “I’d say with any player you draft, there is always a transition to the NFL as you all have seen. There have been some players where it’s quicker and right away you see the star, and other guys it takes a year or two. For us, how we look at it, it’s the total player and the person and the fit, as we talk about in the locker room, as well as the ability. We don’t really put limits. Last year we had some guys come in and play, and we had some guys that didn’t. For us, it’s just developing the player and working with him. I think Mike and the coaching staff do a great job of working with the players and developing them. First of all, (we want) guys that love football, and guys that will come in and compete and love football. Then whenever that opportunity arises is when they’ll get that chance.”
(Are you hoping to maybe add a pick tomorrow?) – “I’d love to but 198 and 237 make it kind of hard. (laughter) But we’d love to.”
Mike McDaniel:
“Yeah, we’re just hoping people have some flawed charts out there and we can really move up. (laughter)”
Chris Grier:
(Is the 2024 draft capital something you want to make sure you stay away from in any trade talks?) – “Yeah, I think so. Mike hasn’t had a first-round pick selection yet.”
Mike McDaniel:
“But I’ll be ready Year 3. (laughter)”
CB Cam Smith
(What was the communication like with the Dolphins in the pre-draft process? Is this a place you thought could be a good chance you’d come to?) – “The pre-draft process, I really didn’t have a lot of talks. They just came to a lot of practices. I already knew the general manager’s (Chris Grier) son was on the team. He was kind of giving me the ins and outs of the league already throughout the whole process. Just (keeping) a clean nose and stuff like that. Just coming into the Combine, we had a formal meeting, and then coming into the Top 30 visit, that was my last meeting I took. It got kind of schedule … so I felt like it was given something on that accord right there.”
(What are your thoughts on coming to a defensive back room, and a cornerback room, with CB Xavien Howard on one side and CB Jalen Ramsey on the other?) – “It’s kind of a blessing. I feel like I was already in that position at South Carolina having Jaycee (Horn) and ‘Izzy’ (Israel Mukuamu) above me when I first came in. Coming in, I just kind of stayed under their wings, learned the ins and outs of what they were doing because they were already successful at that level. Just coming in and doing the same thing with Jalen and Xavien is going to be even better then.”
(What do you know about Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defenses? Obviously he’s pretty storied in the NFL. What did you think of him when you met him in this whole process?) – “Very wise dude. A dude that’s going to get on you about every nook and cranny. Even just one of my steps on one of my plays, he keyed it out, and I really didn’t notice it until he said something about it. Just how he pays attention to details, I love a coach that pays attention to details and wants everything smooth, crisp and ironed out.”
(What do you consider your favorite aspects about the cornerback position? Yourself, playing the position.) – “I feel like my hands, my feet, my hips, and being able to get on top of dudes. Playing even to make sure I can hold a route, and make sure I’m on top at all times. Being able to be in those positions, my hands and feet and hips being all together in one. I feel like that’s the best thing that separates me from a lot of dudes.”
(I wanted to ask you can you take us to the moment when you got that phone call from Head Coach Mike McDaniel, General Manager Chris Grier and Managing General Partner Steven Ross? What was that moment like for you?) – “It was kind of crazy because I was just calling Landon (Grier) because we were just talking about how if I fell late into the second round, it could be that. I was just going off of what he was saying about the process, and then what Chris Grier was saying when I was on my visit. If they had the chance to get me, they would come and get me, and they stayed true to that. Just being on the phone with Landon right before that and seeing them call me with that 954 number, it’s crazy.”
(When you think about going up against in practice WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Tyreek Hill, what do you think about?) – “I think about getting better every day. Going against two of the most feared dudes in the league every day in practice, I don’t have no worries when I get on the field. That’s how I’m going to feel.”
(What was this process like for you? Being able to be at the doorstep of a dream, and I don’t know if you felt like you were being drafted in the first round, but what was it like lasting until the 2nd day?) – “I kind of felt down. When it ended and the last pick came in, I kind of felt down on myself. I was just kind of wondering what was I doing wrong and stuff like that. I was kind of thinking about it, but then at the same time, I think about what God has in store for me, and it’s not just what I want and what I think, it has to have something behind it, and it has something behind it.”
(I’d like to ask you a little bit about the role of your family in your life going back to when you were young as well as now. I understand you have a young daughter. Can you just describe the role that your relatives have had in your life?) – “Really just kind of having that close-knit family – mom, dad, brother, sister, uncles, aunts. Like everybody being close-knit. We’re always coming for Sunday dinner and stuff like that. It was always big so just having them there the whole time and then coming and seeing everybody like in a whole – everybody coming together and like even if they didn’t know me, they didn’t know this person, but they started to meet the whole support system. So just having a whole support system that was way bigger than anything for me, just seeing everybody crying and everybody doing – I wasn’t even crying that much, but I had people crying a lot harder than me. So it just shows how much they cared for me throughout this process.”
(And how is it being a dad? Are you enjoying being a dad?) – “Definitely. There’s a couple of hiccups here and there always, but it’s smooth.”
(Just curious – playing in the SEC – how do you feel like that’s prepared you for the competition you’re about to face within your own division? You got Josh Allen twice a year, you got Aaron Rodgers now twice a year. I don’t know if you’ve even had time to really let that sink in yet.) – “Just feel like – I mean, the SEC is the best ball in college football. I feel like that and I can stand by that. I feel like it’s a lot more dawg in that conference. I feel like a lot more people try to make it. People are not really just playing football just to play football. So I feel like coming from those trenches type of thing. That’s giving me an edge over anybody regardless. I know that edge. I know how to practice, I know where it comes from and what it takes to do those types of things. And every SEC team is basically ran like a pro organization, so I’m already in that doorway.”
(And then one more thing. You’re from Blythewood, right?) – “Yes, sir.”
(Do you have any relationship or do you know of CB Justin Bethel at all? I think he went to the same high school, right?) – “Justin Bethel. I think I’ve heard that name before, but I didn’t graduate (from there) – I graduated from Westwood, though. I graduated from Westwood.”
(I know that you’re capable of playing outside corner, slot corner, and some people even think you can play safety if called upon. What have the Dolphins said about whether they plan to crosstrain you in multiple positions?) – “When we were sitting down in the office, me and (Chris) Grier, we were just kind of wrapping it up about what I wanted to play and how I want to do it. We always know I can play two positions, but just kind of get my feet wet in the league first, getting outside, making sure I can hold it down, do everything I need to do and learn those new techniques that they are going to teach me and stuff like that. And then moving inside a little later, going inside, moving, learning those things and stuff like that. So just kind of gradually going into it.”
(CB Xavien Howard was once also a second-round corner. They picked him out of Baylor. And if you read his scouting reports, back in the day, they said that he can get a little physical – I’m reading this one here on one website – says he can get a little grabby. Tell me about how you balance physicality, being in their back pocket, being handsy, but trying not to get called.) – “Sometimes you’ve just kind of got to watch it, you’ve got to know the receiver that you’re going against. A big stronger dude, you can do a lot more. You’re not really going to do all that flinching and stuff like kind of the little dudes will do and stuff like that where you tug them or pushing and stuff like that. So it’s just kind of just knowing who you’re going against and knowing what you got to do.”
(I wanted to know when you first considered yourself an NFL prospect and how much did that dream drive you every day?) – “I didn’t realize it when I was young, like a lot of people and stuff like that. But I realized it really going into my junior year. So finding out – basically I just started spring ball – I was going to have a kid in the summer. And then it kind of just went from there. I kind of was different every day. I don’t know why, I didn’t really hone-in on why I was different or really think about it. I was kind of going in and doing it every day. So practice was easier. I was making a lot of plays and stuff like that. I saw I was just kind of getting in the groove of feeling like a dominant corner and then coming into the season, I continued the same trend. So it was just kind of that whole season. It just kind of solidified.”
(Did you notice other teams noticing your talent and playing you different or trying to throw things away from you and things like that?) – “Not my 2021 season. A lot more in my 2022 season. I had a lot less targets than my 2021 season, so I feel like I got the respect that I deserve.”
(First, my question to you is more so about Blythewood. Coming from South Carolina, what are you looking most forward to coming to Miami?) – “Always kind of having a little warmth to the weather, no cold fronts and stuff like that. Really just kind of the weather, that’s really the only difference, for real, for me. I don’t really go out like that or get in those type of things, I’m not really that social of a dude.”
(Secondly, your game against Tennessee last year, you were able to shut down the Biletnikoff winner. Do you think that game stood out to you the most last season? What was it about that game?) – “It didn’t stand out to me. I knew I was guarding him from the job since he started snapping. So as soon as he – when we knew it was him on the schedule, I told him, this is two or three weeks in advance, I already told him, ‘We’re going.’ Just having that game, I feel like yeah that kind of boosted everything and stuff like that, but I didn’t put it no extra effort for that. I didn’t do anything extra for that.”
(You stated a lot that you’re a perfectionist about technique and that you’re very comfortable with your backpedal. How does that help you prepare against some of the faster wide receivers in the NFL?) – “A lot of the fast dudes get a lot of people that kind of open up and run a lot, so they’ll already be opened up running, tilted up shoulders and stuff like that. So kind of just being comfortable with my pedal, knowing my speed, knowing what I can do, is going to have me just more comfortable in those situations. If somebody is pressing me hard up the field trying to get run a 15-yard comeback or a 20-yard comeback, if somebody is doing that, for me being able to stay in my pedal and keep my same transition instead of just kind of opening the gate and letting them run and being scared, just having that kind of confidence in my backpedal is going to help me.”
(I wanted to ask you about your relationship with Landon Grier and how much do you think that provided a scouting report for General Manager Chris Grier? How many times do you think you interacted with Chris Grier throughout the course of your career at South Carolina?) – “My relationship with Landon is pretty smooth. We’re not like the best of friends, but every day we’re cracking up, like in the locker room or we’re in the meeting room cracking up. So just something to that extent, but it’s just always kind of been – he was just kind of telling us the ways of the league. He was already – he’s been in it since he’s been little, so he damn near knows more than a lot of people know in the league. So just kind of having that in my back pocket was great. He just kind of led everything the whole time, he always talked good about me every time. They told me about how Landon was telling them about me and stuff like that. He always put in a good word for me, and I’m grateful for him. I’m truly grateful for him. I didn’t really have – my first time meeting Chris Grier was at the Combine at the formal meeting that we had, and the second time when I had my Top 30 visit.”
