Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert agreed on a contract that’ll keep him in Miami for the next two seasons and keep together one of the league’s best backfield duos in himself and rookie sensation De’Von Achane.
The pair may have similar skill sets, but within Mike McDaniel’s offense, they seem like interchangeable sparks of lightning that continually zoom past the defense.
Mostert had the healthiest season of his career, resulting in his first 1,000-yard season and setting franchise records in rushing touchdowns (18) and touchdowns from scrimmage (21). He also cashed in on a new contract on the other side of age 30. It’s a rare occurrence, yet earned.
Achane, on the other hand, was well on his way to being the rookie of the year, but nagging injuries kept holding him down. Not enough to end his season, but enough to limit his explosiveness. He was never fully himself. Even so, he posted insane numbers, and the ceiling for this kid has yet to be set.
Now I’m thinking, how good is the Dolphins tandem compared to the rest of the league? There have been moving parts this offseason with some of the NFL’s best running backs, but now that the position has settled, here are my top five duos going into the 2024 season.
5. Bijan Robinson & Tyler Allgeier – Atlanta Falcons
- Bijan Robinson – 214 CAR, 976 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 58 REC, 487 YDS, 8 TD, (PFF GRADE 69.1)
- Tyler Allgeier – 186 CAR, 683 YDS, 3.7 AVG, 18 REC, 193 YDS, 5 TD, (PFF GRADE 82.6)
– Robinson and Algeier are both breakout candidates in 2024 due to the signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins. The offense was limited the last two seasons due to poor quarterback play, and defenses keyed in on the running game.
From a talent standpoint, Robinson could be a top-five back as early as this year with elite skill in both the rushing and receiving categories. Allgeier is a backup with a thousand-yard season on his resume and could do more if given the chance.
4. Josh Jacobs & AJ Dillon – Green Bay Packers
- Josh Jacobs – 233 CAR, 805 YDS, 3.5 AVG, 37 REC, 296 YDS, 6 TD (PFF GRADE 65.0)
- AJ Dillon – 178 CAR, 613 YDS, 3.4 AVG, 22 REC, 223 YDS, 2 TD (PFF GRADE 75.7)
– The Packers lost their franchise back Aaron Jones in free agency to their arch-rival, the Minnesota Vikings. They replaced him with the NFL’s rushing leader in 2022, Josh Jacobs. That’s an upgrade, and I’m a Jones fan.
This duo may not feature an ideal third-down back in passing situations, but their power will wear out defenses all year and give quarterback Jordan Love a lot of second, or third and short situations. They’ll be deadly later in the year when it gets cold and defenses don’t want to tackle them. There’s tons of power in this backfield.
3. Najee Harris & Jaylen Warren – Pittsburgh Steelers
- Najee Harris – 255 CAR, 1,035 YDS, 4.1 AVG, 29 REC, 170 YDS, 8 TD, (PFF GRADE 78.1)
- Jaylen Warren – 149 CAR, 784 YDS, 5.3 AVG, 61 REC, 370 YDS, 4 TD, (PFF GRADE 78.6)
– The Steelers offense was an absolute bore fest in 2023, but that was mostly on offensive coordinator Matt Canada and quarterback Kenny Pickett. Harris and Warren are seemingly blame-free. Luckily for Steelers fans, the former is out the door, and the latter is here to stay.
Harris and Warren have a perfect yin and yang approach, with Harris doing the dirty work between the tackles and Warren showcasing his receiving skills. They’re talented enough to keep the offense flowing, no matter who is out there.
2. Raheem Mostert & De’Von Achane – Miami Dolphins
- Raheem Mostert – 209 CAR, 1,012 YDS, 4.8 AVG, 25 REC, 175 YDS, 21 TD (PFF GRADE 85.8)
- De’Von Achane – 103 CAR, 800 YDS, 7.8 AVG, 27 REC, 197 YDS, 11 TD (PFF GRADE 92.4)
– Mostert and Achane put up numbers Dolphins fans haven’t seen since the Ricky Williams days. It was truly a spectacle to watch. Mostert was collecting touchdowns like it’s his hobby, and Achane had the trajectory of a CJ2K season. They had so many rushing touchdowns that it hindered quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s stats a bit. They just ran up and down the field like it was made of lava.
The only problem was that it was unsustainable through the grind of a season and into the playoffs, where it matters most. Achane got injured and got re-injured on his first play back from injury. From there, he wasn’t the same for the most part, but he did show flashes in the regular season finale against the Bills. Mostert was healthy most of the year but missed the last two regular-season games, and then the offense froze in the one playoff game against the Chiefs, pun intended. It left a bad taste from Dolphins fans.
Although I do expect Mostert and Achane to be just as explosive in 2024 as they were in 2023, they need to be able to show up and show out a bit more in winter than they did in the fall. Now there is a case to be made that this is the best tandem in the league, but in my eyes, they may have stat padded a bit in the first half of the season, and neither is a true between-the-tackles guy. Either way, the race to the top of the list was decided by less than a hair.
– HONORABLE MENTIONS –
1. David Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs – Detroit Lions
- David Montgomery – 219 CAR, 1,015 YDS, 4.6 AVG, 16 REC, 117 YDS, 13 TD (PFF GRADE 80.0)
- Jahmyr Gibbs – 182 CAR, 945 YDS, 5.2 AVG, 52 REC, 316 YDS, 11 TD (PFF GRADE 74.5)
– Montgomery and Gibbs is a peak thunder and lightning combo. Montgomery pounds it between the tackles, and Gibbs gets to the edges and explodes in the passing game. As good as the Lions are in the passing game, it all starts with the boys up front and the guys in the backfield. They’re the tone-setters and grind defenses into submission. When both of them are in the lineup, plan A is to stop the run, and plan b is to have whoever is left hope to god they can cover Amon Ra St. Brown.
The Lions running-back duo claim the top spot due to their overall game. Both guys can be dependable RB1s on the majority of NFL teams, and they check all the boxes between them. They have power, speed, and skill. They’re also capable blockers. Now I know they have a top-three offensive line, and I did weigh that against the Dolphins line for the question of the top spot, but the eye test overruled that. The Lions reign supreme when it comes to running-back duos.
Let us know in the comments who your top five NFL running back duos would be and if you agree with this list.