Earlier this week, the Arizona Cardinals acquired running back Kenyan Drake in a trade with the Miami Dolphins in an effort to shore up a backfield that has been ravaged by injuries of late.
Drake made his Cardinals debut against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night and ended up having his most impressive performance of the season, carrying the ball 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown while logging four catches for 52 yards.
Afterward, rookie quarterback Kyler Murray said he loved what he saw from his new teammate.
“Super impressed,” said Murray, according to Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' team website. “To be honest, I kind of felt or knew what he was capable of. Everybody's situations are different, but in this offense I felt like if he just felt comfortable enough to understand the plays and concepts, he would thrive.”
Drake's production during his first game with Arizona was certainly more impressive than anything he had done in Miami this season, as he totaled just 174 yards on the ground while averaging 3.7 yards per carry in six games with the Dolphins in 2019.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was originally selected by Miami in the third round (73rd pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He played in all 16 games during his rookie campaign, recording 179 yards and a couple of touchdowns as a rusher. His role then grew in 2017, as he totaled 644 yards and three scores, and last season, he finished with 535 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while hauling in 53 receptions for 477 yards and five touchdowns.
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