The Miami Dolphins, and teams across the NFL, release unofficial depth charts each week.
They don’t mean anything specific. They’re meant to be a guide for media and fans to have an idea of what’s going on.
But when games roll around, it’s not like the coaches are standing there on the sideline concerned with adhering to such a depth chart. So it can be taken with a grain of salt. It’s not always clear that a coaching staff even has anything to do with putting it together.
But in Miami this week, there is one position that everyone is particularly interested in: running back.
The Dolphins lost De’Von Achane for the season to a torn ACL sustained on Sunday in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
That leaves Miami without its best offensive weapon, and also searching for the right replacement for him.
There are two clear options: Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II.
They could go with a true 50-50 split, or they could ride the hot hand, or they could do something entirely one-sided. There’s really no way to know until they’re on the field.
But that unofficial depth chart did add one hint to the equation.
Dolphins RB Depth Chart
The depth chart circulating social media shows Jaylen Wright as the RB1 and Ollie Gordon as the RB2.
Based on past information, this does seem to make sense.
Yes, Gordon did get 17 carries after Achane exited in Week 3, but there’s a catch: Wright was out.
Wright had been dealing with a foot injury, and so he was inactive for the Chiefs game. It just happened that it was also the game Achane had gotten hurt.
Before then, Wright had been listed as Achane’s backup. It seemed he was RB2 with Gordon as RB3.
If that was really the case, then it would follow that Wright moves up to RB1 with Achane out.
There would’ve been some question about Wright’s availability for Week 4 given his injury, but that seems to be a non-issue at this point.
The Dolphins’ coaching staff has suggested there will be a split in RB touches going forward, so Wright may not dominate the looks here. But all the tea leaves available to read point to Wright being the lead back, not Gordon.
Other RBs
The Dolphins had two other RBs in the building at the time of Achane’s injury, both on the practice squad.
Jarquez Hunter and Carlos Washington Jr. both have limited NFL experience with other teams, but they know the Miami offense and would probably be able to step in and contribute in a pinch.
Because the Dolphins are 0-3 and rebuilding, there’s less pressure to sign or trade for a veteran running back. They may simply move forward with what they have and try to make the most of it.
Dolphins RB Depth Chart Has Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon Announcement