Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals
The Dolphins of the Adam Gase era (2016-2018) could generally be counted on to feature the wrong players in key roles, and when the right players were put on the field, they weren’t always given optimal opportunities to display their skill sets. Drake, selected in the third round of the 2016 draft out of Alabama, is but one of these stories. In 3 1/2 seasons with Miami, he gained 1,532 yards on 333 carries with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average and nine touchdowns. The post-Gase Dolphins traded him to Arizona in late October for a conditional sixth-round pick, at which point Drake caught fire. In just eight games for a Cardinals offense that was still finding its way under first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury and rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, Drake gained 643 yards on 123 carries with a 5.2 YPC and eight rushing touchdowns.
In Weeks 9-17 of the 2019 regular season, Drake tied with Washington’s Adrian Peterson, Oakland’s Josh Jacobs, Buffalo’s Devin Singletary, and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry with eight runs of 15 or more yards, ranking fourth in the league over that span of time. Drake’s 646 yards on those long runs was sixth-best in the league. He also averaged 2.77 yards after contact per carry, and broke 25 total tackles as a rusher and receiver, per Pro Football Focus. Drake is a balanced, compact runner with one-cut speed and impressive acceleration. The Cardinals would be wise to re-sign him, but Drake will make any running back room better if he’s given the opportunity.