Miami Dolphins starting running back Kenyan Drake came under fire this week from former NFL running back and current NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew, who ranked Drake as the second worst starting running back in the NFL. Sure, Drake hasn’t quite lived up to his athletic potential through his first three years in the NFL. But the second worst starting running back in the entire league? That’s harsh.
The designation came as a surprise to many Dolphins fans, who have seen Drake’s pro career stumble to reach its optimal potential because of his usage under former head coach Adam Gase. Drake’s expectations swelled after the Dolphins kicked RB Jay Ajayi to the curb mid-season in 2017 — in part because Drake was more prepared to play. Yet the breakout never came, as Gase fell back onto veteran running back Frank Gore to be the primary back last season.
The arrival of a new coaching staff has spawned inspiration from the Dolphins faithful that Drake will turn the corner in 2019 — although it will take a better effort from Drake than we’ve seen through three seasons. Drake did log a career high in offensive yards from scrimmage (1,012) and total touchdowns (9) in 2018 — so it isn’t all bad last year.
