Through his first two seasons in the league, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has shown plenty of glimpses of promise to be the primary workhorse in the backfield. However, he has taken a secondary role alongside former Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray.

With Murray now out of the picture, it has put forth an opportunity for Henry to grab a more prominent role in the offense despite the addition of Dion Lewis in free agency. During a recent interview with NFL.com, veteran linebacker Derrick Morgan has voiced much confidence that the third-year tailback can take the next leap in his development.

“[Derrick Henry has learned] a lot of patience. Coming out of Alabama being a Heisman Trophy winner, you want to contribute Day 1. Having DeMarco [Murray] in front of him and having to wait his turn, splitting carries, I know it's difficult because that's the competitor in all of us. I think that helped mature him in a lot of ways. We were telling him that this was valuable time for him. Running backs' careers aren't what they used to be. You don't want to get a ton of tread on your tires. Let this time be a time of learning and observing and honing your skills. To see him take off like he did in the playoffs and transition to the No. 1 guy, I think it's his time. He's been groomed and ready. We have all the confidence in the world in him.”

Henry is a unique talent that has the size and ability to be a game changer on the field when given the opportunity. He had shown an uptick in production in the 2017 season as he posted a career-high 744 rushing yards with five touchdowns. Henry's game took off to another level after Murray went down with a leg injury.

The 23-year-old put that on display in the comeback win in the wildcard round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs rushing for a career-high 156 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown while also hauling in two catches for 35 yards. He has the explosive big-play ability that has made him a dangerous option in the backfield.

However, what should be noted is that the Titans have brought aboard Lewis, who has established himself as a dual-threat option. He is coming off his most productive season where he rushed for a career-high 896 yards and six touchdowns along with hauling in 32 catches for 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns while playing in all 16 regular season games for the first time in his career.

The coaching staff has stated that the team plans on using both players in more of a split back game plan.

Nonetheless, this is an opportunity in front of Henry to prove he can be the primary running back out of the backfield for the long haul in Tennessee.