For the audio version of this blog, CLICK HERE
Ollie Gordon and the Miami Dolphins are a match made in heaven. This isn’t a hyperbolic reaction to a couple of preseason games. It’s completely understood that the better a running back does in the preseason, the less likely he is to play in the regular season. That’s not because good performance is punished in the NFL, but because the guys who get the most opportunities when the games don’t matter are the most expendable players on the team.
Two of the top 10 rushers in the 2024 preseason were backup quarterbacks. Trey Lance (24 carries for 168 yards) started one game and lost for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 regular season, and Detroit Lions backup Hendon Hooker (19 carries for 138 yards) has attempted just nine passes in his NFL career. Frank Gore led all running backs last preseason with 33 carries for 163 yards and then didn’t play a single snap for the Bills during the regular season.
Velus Jones had 25 carries for 158 yards (an impressive 6.3 yards per carry) and also led the exhibition season with two rushing touchdowns. During the Chicago Bears’ 2024 campaign, he only carried the ball three times for 11 yards. A partial exception to this rule is the Green Bay Packers running back Emmanuel Wilson, who had 37 carries for 160 yards (4.3 yards per carry) in the preseason, then played in all 17 regular-season games for the Pack, carrying the ball 103 times for 502 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.
Enter Ollie Gordon, who so far this preseason has carried the ball 18 times for 83 yards, as the Dolphins have gone 1-0-1 so far. In his first game, a 24-24 tie with the Bears, Gordon carried the ball eight times for 33 yards and a touchdown, adding a 39-yard reception to the box score as well. In his most recent outing, he had 10 carries for 50 yards in a 24-17 win over the Detroit Lions. Averaging 4.6 yards per carry and showing ability in the passing and running games, Gordon may be looking like a potential steal of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ups And Downs At OSU
Gordon’s sophomore season at Oklahoma State was nothing short of spectacular. Before anyone knew who Ashton Jeanty was, Gordon was making his case as the best running back in the nation. He carried the ball 285 times for 1,732 yards (number one in the nation) and 21 touchdowns (second in the NCAA). He started 2025 projected as the Heisman trophy winner, and by the time the Draft rolled around, he found himself waiting until the 179th pick to hear his name.
This is because his 2024 college season was as much of a disaster as his sophomore year had been a success. The same player who ran for 282 yards and four touchdowns against West Virginia in October of 2024, only had four games over 100 yards in 2025. He didn’t help his case at the draft combine, running a 4.61-second forty. There was a real likelihood that, despite his potential, he was going to go undrafted.
Lightning Needs Thunder
Gordon’s loss was the Dolphins’ gain, as the team was able to invest a small amount of draft capital to possibly secure one of the class’s most punishing runners. Miami is all about speed, speed, and more speed. Their receiving tandem of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is the league’s fastest duo, as is their pair of running backs, De’Von Achance and Jaylen Wright. What the team was lacking was a big back that can punish linebackers into submission, so their speed can go in for the kill.
Gordon doesn’t have a jetback like the other guys in the room with him, but he has monstrous size compared to them. He is 6’1 and 225 pounds, and he runs with every inch and ounce of his body. He isn’t a shifty back that avoids contact; he’s essentially a middle linebacker who carries the ball and initiates hits. He is sure to leave the middle of every defense he plays against riddled with bangs and bruises. The rest of the team will benefit beyond belief from what he brings to the table.
End Of My Ollie Gordon Rant
It’s two games into the preseason, and Miami won’t take its first meaningful snap for another month, but that doesn’t mean there is no need for excitement. The Dolphins locked up a first-round talent in the sixth round of the draft, and he’s starting to look more like the Gordon of 2023 than 2024. He is the perfect fit for a team built on a concussion-riddled quarterback, surrounded by small, speedy players. He’s going to make everyone’s life a lot easier.
The post Ollie Gordon Is Just What The Miami Dolphins Need appeared first on Stadium Rant.