Miami Dolphins Finest Moments of 2016: Kenyan Drake’s emergence
With the 2015-16 season ending in much disappointment, the Miami Dolphins faced serious uncertainty at running back with the departure of Lamar Miller. Current Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi hadn’t yet rose to stardom and new signing and the Dolphins had to make some serious offseason moves.
Along with the signing of Arian Foster who has since retired, the Dolphins addressed their running back problem in the 2016 NFL Draft by drafting Alabama running back Kenyan Drake in the third round, 73rd overall.
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Drake brought with him from the running back breeding ground of Alabama, a unique skillset that the Dolphins have used very effectively this season. With a mix of speed, power, and elusiveness, Drake has separated himself as the clear cut number two to Jay Ajayi for the 2017 season.
We saw his ability as both a running back and a special teams star throughout his career at Alabama, but Drake left Alabama in style while showcasing his impact in special teams with a crucial late game kick return for a touchdown versus Clemson in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Luckily for the Dolphins, Drake brought his game changing special teams ability with him to Miami when he returned a kick for a touchdown late in a crucial game against the division rival New York Jets.
Drake fielded the Nick Folk kick at the 5-yard line with just over five minutes left in the game, cut right at the 25-yard line, and was off to the races scoring the go ahead touchdown to propel the Dolphins to a 27-23 victory while extending the winning streak to three games.
Drake finished the 2016 season with 22 rushing attempts, 179 yards, and two touchdowns. On the surface, it doesn’t look like Kenyan Drake has made much of a difference for the Dolphins, but his impact goes far beyond the numbers.
Drake broke an incredible touchdown run versus the Buffalo Bills in a week 16 game that turned out to be the win that propelled the Dolphins to their first playoff berth in eight years. Every point mattered in this one as it came down to a game tying field goal as time expired to force overtime.
Drake took the handoff from Matt Moore at the 45-yard line and tried to find running room up the middle. Drake was forced to reverse course and found a seam up the sideline taking it 45 yards for the score to put the Dolphins up 14-0 early.
Due to the breakout of Jay Ajayi, Drakes statistics might not be there during the 2016 season. Nonetheless, Adam Gase will most definitely take game changing plays like Drake provided over numbers during the 2017 season.
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