The Miami Dolphins picked up Myles Gaskin in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, 234th overall.
Not a lot was expected from the running back, but after an impressive 2020, what can we expect from Gaskin in 2021?
Fighting Off Competition
Gaskin had a limited role in the Dolphins’ disappointing 2019 season, with just 36 carries and 7 receptions all season.
During the 2020 offseason, the Dolphins acquired Matt Breida and Jordan Howard in Free Agency. These were expected to be the two main backs going into the campaign, but Gaskin managed to gain more playing time and eventually would become the lead back.
Breida arrived from a San Francisco 49ers that had reached Super Bowl 54. Howard combined for 24 touchdowns and 2,582 rushing yards across the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons.
Breida is no longer a Dolphin, departing in Free Agency, and is now a Buffalo Bill. Jordan Howard was released after just five games.
In the end, Breida failed to score a touchdown all season and only ran for 254 yards. His longest rushing attempt all season was just 24 yards. Howard did score four touchdowns in the five games he played for the Dolphins but only ran for 60 yards and his longest rushing attempt was 8 yards.
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) March 31, 2021
Whilst he was given a chance due to the lack of production from Breida and Howard, Gaskin has done an excellent job in beating off the competition from two players in his position. This shows the ability of the former Washington college back and the level of fight inside him.
How Gaskin Can Progress In 2021 and Beyond
Gaskin only recorded 16 rushing attempts in Miami’s opening two games but had 22 in the Week 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He may have only scored three rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns all season, but he got better and became more crucial to the Dolphins’ offense.
This most notably came in the Week 16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Gaskin ran for 87 rushing yards and recorded 82 receiving yards, and catching for two touchdown receptions.
With the Dolphins down 22-16 in the fourth quarter with 3:08 remaining, Ryan Fitzpatrick found Gaskin around the 50-yard line. Gaskin beat everyone around him, breaking two tackles before taking the ball to the end zone. This gave Miami the lead in a crucial game.
Remember the @MiamiDolphins vs. the @Raiders in Week 16?
This ending was BONKERS. ? pic.twitter.com/kMncORARo7
— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2021
It is performances like these that show how Gaskin can be Miami’s lead back going into 2021 and beyond, but will there be a running back taken by Miami in the Draft?
[pickup_prop id=”5610″]
Miami Taking A Running Back In The Draft?
Najee Harris has been talked of as someone Miami could take with the 18th overall pick. Tua Tagovailoa has come out and said he’d like to play with Harris again, which has added fuel to the fire.
However, the Dolphins have bigger positions of need. Salvon Ahmed recorded an average of over 50 yards per game during his six appearances in a Dolphins jersey in 2020.
There are other running backs that could be taken in the draft, but there does not feel to be an urgent desire for one. Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers was linked to making a move to South Beach in Free Agency but decided to put pen to paper to a new four-year deal to stay in Wisconsin.
Wide receiver, offensive line, and a true pass rusher are positions that head coach Brian Flores and General Manager Chris Grier should prioritize. Gaskin deserves at least the next season or two to prove he is the starter in Miami.
Third year RBs don’t get another season or two to prove themselves. He might get 5 games.
Sorry this is a ridiculous premise the Dolphins should be a running team they NEED a top level back in order to make this team win predictably. I like Gaskin great running back good kid but he is a change of pace back and he was abused in college they ran him into the ground. They HAVE to get another running back and Harris could could get them to the super bowl.
To compare Gaskin to either Ettinne or Harris is like comparing a Ford Pinto to a Mustang. Sure it will get you there. But your never going to win a race.
Come on man!!!!!!!
Harris is overrated. He is a product of an NFL ready OL. On his own, he does not have the power to run over people or vision or elusiveness to make them miss. Williams has all of the above and will be a better pro.
Forget drafting a wide receiver we need to get Harris before anybody gets them and that’ll be the next Derek Henry
Gaskin is an elite back in a small body. What makes him elite? His vision and ability to burst through even the smallest holes. He has a lot of Barry Sanders in him where he runs low to the ground giving him superior lateral quickness to side step defenders and avoid big hits. This is a big reason he is almost always falling forward. Sure he got heavy use in college. You realize when he graduated, he ranked 16th all time in career rushing yards. There are a lot of “overused” backs around him in those ranking that went on to very successful NFL careers. If it wasn’t for concerns about his health, he would have been a much higher pick in the draft. Well he hasn’t had any serious health problems since being drafted and if he wins the opportunity to be the lead back, he will shock a lot of people.
Harris is the next Derrick Henry. Harris skill set is far above Henry’s. Not taking Harris would be one of Miami’s biggest mistakes. RB are the most underrated players now days. They say you can always get RB’s but you can not get Elite Backs period past the early second round.