Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake had a big second half of the season after his trade from the Miami Dolphins. In eight games, he had 643 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and 28 receptions for 171 yards.
Over the course of an entire season, he was on pace to have nearly 1,300 rushing yards and almost 350 receiving yards.
He sparked the offense.
He now has had time to learn the offense and the team’s offensive unit is largely unchanged except for the addition of receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
He could have a huge year, but he isn’t willing to put to number or a cap on what it could be.
“I feel like my ceiling is as high as I’ll take it,” he said in a video conference with reporters. “I can’t do anything but put the work in right now and then also take that into whenever the season starts.”
He trusts in his ability.
“Things I may do from a personal standpoint are the things that I control when I go out there and play my game,” he said.
His game should be made a little easier with the offensive personnel and scheme.
“When you obtain one of the top receivers in the league, if not the top receiver in the league, it’s going to bolster any offense,” Drake said of acquiring DeAndre Hopkins. “With the style of play we have, it’s going to help this team be a nuisance for everybody in the NFC West for years to come because of his ability and Kyler’s ability to play the way he plays at quarterback.”
He called head coach Kliff Kingsbury a “mad genius.”
He knows that staying healthy matters. He cited availability as a good ability and noted how he has been healthy throughout his career. “I’m really trying to put my body in a situation where I can take the load or get X amount of carries or touches in general.”
Drake, if healthy, should give the Cardinals something they haven’t had since 2016 — a running back with a big season.
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Ep. 267
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Ep. 266
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