‘I stand on that.' Why Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright expects a breakout season in Year 2

Miami Herald

2 days ago

Patience. Patience. Patience.
That was a point of emphasis for second-year running back Jaylen Wright following a standout performance Thursday. The 22-year-old looked every bit the speedster that the Miami Dolphins picked in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft but with one major caveat: patience, something he believes can boost his playing time in 2025.
'Last year, it was just me out there just running,' Wright said. 'Now I know where to look. I know where the defender is going to be. I know where the run is supposed to hit. So that's definitely the biggest step for me from year one to year two.'
Wright's patient approach led to two runs of more 10 yards, one of which saw the tailback cut back to avoid a closing hole in order to pick up a big gain.
'I'm just pressing the blocks and reading them inside out,' Wright said of that particular play. Again, Wright used his favorite words. 'Just being patient then using my ability that God blessed me with to burst through the hole.'
The improved patience comes after a year behind veteran running back Raheem Mostert who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 offseason. Miami's single-season touchdown record-holder, Mostert helped Wright learn the importance of patience — both on and off the field. Wright couldn't have asked for a better teacher: the 33-year-old tailback's best year did not happen until his age 31 season, a lesson of patience in of itself.
'I learned a lot from [Mostert] – being patient – and that's what I'm doing' Wright said. 'When the runs are not clean, just be patient and keep putting the ball in the right spot and eventually it's going to pop.'
As a rookie, Wright saw his playing time diminish over the course of the season. The reasons were unclear – coach Mike McDaniel indicated that it was 'very competitive room' that had 'little room for error' – yet the message sent by the then-rookie's lack of snaps was clear: there were better options.
'When we had exit meetings, I was talking to Jaylen Wright about being able to non-verbally communicate to me his hunger for an increased role,' McDaniel said in early June. 'I see better than I hear, and four OTAs in, I can see him following through with that.'
Put differently, it would seem that the game has officially begun to slow down for Wright who recently put the entire NFL world on notice.
'I just really feel like and I know I can be a top back in this league,' Wright said July 17 on 'Up & Adams.' 'I feel like just my skill set, my ability and the system I'm in, it sets me up to be great.'
Wright doubled down on that message on Thursday.
'I stand on that,' Wright said. 'If things play out right this year and I know it will so I'm very confident.
There's a bit of a precedent to Wright's bold claim. After a record-setting rookie season, De'Von Achane came back with a vengeance in 2024, racking up 1,531 all-purpose yards, which ranked 13th in the league ahead of backs like Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon and Breece Hall. His six receiving touchdowns also tied receiver Tyreek Hill for second on the team.
Still, Wright will have to beat out free agent signee Alexander Mattison as well as 2025 sixth-round draft pick Ollie Gordon II, who was crowned the top college running backs in 2023, for more playing time. That said, there's still a chance that he can snag a co-starter role as McDaniel has previously named two running back starters.
'You have to let the players determine who gets the ball and how frequently and how much during the game,' McDaniel said in Aug. 2024. 'I think the cool thing when you have a position group that on the front end you know by NFL standards is very, very talented – one of the most, if not the most talented that you can remember or you've been on teams with – you don't worry about how that is going to unfold. You let it unfold and it's always very obvious.'
Added McDaniel: 'You can tell by how people execute their blocks and their belief of the player carrying the ball and you have to be able to be open-minded to how it plays out.'