When it was first announced that flag football would be at the 2028 Olympics, one of the first players that came to mind was Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Even on the wrong side of 30, the electric speedster and playmaker made perfect sense as a dynamic option for that setting. However, with the 5-on-5 format being announced and us beginning to look more in-depth at potential options, Hill might not be the best option on the Dolphins offense thanks to De'Von Achane.
Achane didn't waste a second after the Dolphins selected him in the third round in becoming a go-to playmaker in Mike McDaniel's offense. In only 11 games as a rookie, he was a dynamic weapon, racking up 800 yards on just 103 carreis with eight touchdowns, not to mention his 27-197-3 receiving line as well.
For his follow-up act, Achane continued to be a big-play threat in Miami. He played all 17 games and ended the year with 1,499 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns. It's also worth noting that his production was on a much more eye-popping pace before injuries kept Tua Tagovailoa out of action for portions of the season.
It's more than just the production, however, that makes Achane the best fit from the Dolphins on the Team USA Flag Football roster.
De'Von Achane is better for Team USA Flag Football than Tyreek Hill
For starters, the age factor alone put him ahead of Hill. The receiver, who has also battled injuries of late, will be in his mid-30s by the time the Olympic Games roll around. Achane, meanwhile, will be a ripe 25 years old. That's working in his favor from the jump.
More importantly, though, when you think about Achane's fit in the McDaniel offense with the Dolphins, it's tailormade to cause nightmares in the flag football world. So much of what makes Achane, who is one of the fastest running backs in the league by every tracking metric available, special in Miami is McDaniel getting him the ball on the run and/or in open space.
For flag football, that's essentially the name of the entire game. Yes, there is more of a need for jump-ball players than you might realize off the cuff. At the same time, so many of the big plays are made by smaller, shiftier players with tremendous speed just making other guys miss. That's where Achane absolutely excels at the pro level, much less when you take the pads off of him.
While Hill might be a more vocal proponent of playing for Team USA, whoever the coaches are should take a longer look at Achane from the Dolphins instead. He's the better option for this iteration of the game and could absolutely be a playmaking force to not just get another gold medal for the Americans but to do so in overwhelmingly dominant fashion.