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When Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry tore up the Miami Dolphins rush defense in a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium last month, Adam Gase was not surprised.
Gase, the Dolphins coach, revealed this week that the Dolphins had Henry, the former Alabama running back who totaled 62 rushing yards and a touchdown in that game, rated very highly on their NFL Draft board.
“He’s a player that we really liked coming out of the draft,” Gase said. “Obviously, with a lot of our ties that we have to (Alabama Head) Coach (Nick) Saban, we’re always interested in a lot of guys that he has. We have a lot of guys going through that school, because they have so many good players. (Derrick Henry) was a guy that a lot of our scouts and personnel guys really were very interested in.”
Gase worked with Saban at Michigan State as a student assistant and at LSU as a graduate assistant and recruiting assistant from 2000-2002.
Against the Dolphins, Henry showed trademark power, but also surprising shiftiness. Henry has always been able to break tackles and bowl over tacklers, but with an element of elusiveness, he could be a superior back.
“Obviously, he shredded us,” Gase said. “He looked like a grown man out there, for sure. That’s what I know.”
With the seventh pick of the second round in this year’s draft, the Dolphins chose cornerback Xavien Howard of Baylor, who has shown potential because of sound tacking and how aggressively he competes.
Seven picks later, the Titans selected Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner, even though they had just traded with the Eagles for DeMarco Murray. (Incidentally, the Eagles shipped Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to the Dolphins, but Gase says he doesn’t recall an offer to take Murray.)
Murray has carried the majority of the workload for Tennessee in the early season and is off to a strong start, with 5.2 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per reception. Henry is averaging 3.6 and 16.7.
With the 10th pick of the third round in this year’s NFL draft, the Dolphins chose Kenyan Drake, who won a national championship with Henry at Alabama last season. Drake is a speedy slasher who played the role of Reggie Bush for offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, while Henry played the role of LenDale White (ironically, once a Titans draft choice from USC.)
“Playing for Lane, (Drake’s) got a good variety of things,” Gase said. “Being in that system with (Alabama Head) Coach Saban, that benefits guys quite a bit; just the way that you should practice, the way that you should go about your business.”
The Dolphins drafted the cornerback Howard and the running back Drake. If they had elected to reverse priorities, they could have selected Henry in the second and a cornerback such as KeiVarae Russell (Notre Dame), Daryl Worley (West Virginia) or Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech) in the third.
Henry was a workhorse back at Alabama, a violent, physical runner who reminds some of Eddie George. Drake was a dynamic playmaker, making big plays on special teams and an exciting receiving threat.
At Alabama, Henry had 602 carries, averaging 6.0 yards with 42 touchdowns. Drake had only 233 carrries, averaging 6.4 yards with 18 touchdowns.
At the start of the season, Alabama had 42 players on active NFL rosters, tied for most with LSU.
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...d-derrick-henry-in-draft-landed-kenyan-drake/
Gase, the Dolphins coach, revealed this week that the Dolphins had Henry, the former Alabama running back who totaled 62 rushing yards and a touchdown in that game, rated very highly on their NFL Draft board.
“He’s a player that we really liked coming out of the draft,” Gase said. “Obviously, with a lot of our ties that we have to (Alabama Head) Coach (Nick) Saban, we’re always interested in a lot of guys that he has. We have a lot of guys going through that school, because they have so many good players. (Derrick Henry) was a guy that a lot of our scouts and personnel guys really were very interested in.”
Gase worked with Saban at Michigan State as a student assistant and at LSU as a graduate assistant and recruiting assistant from 2000-2002.
Against the Dolphins, Henry showed trademark power, but also surprising shiftiness. Henry has always been able to break tackles and bowl over tacklers, but with an element of elusiveness, he could be a superior back.
“Obviously, he shredded us,” Gase said. “He looked like a grown man out there, for sure. That’s what I know.”
With the seventh pick of the second round in this year’s draft, the Dolphins chose cornerback Xavien Howard of Baylor, who has shown potential because of sound tacking and how aggressively he competes.
Seven picks later, the Titans selected Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner, even though they had just traded with the Eagles for DeMarco Murray. (Incidentally, the Eagles shipped Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to the Dolphins, but Gase says he doesn’t recall an offer to take Murray.)
Murray has carried the majority of the workload for Tennessee in the early season and is off to a strong start, with 5.2 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per reception. Henry is averaging 3.6 and 16.7.
With the 10th pick of the third round in this year’s NFL draft, the Dolphins chose Kenyan Drake, who won a national championship with Henry at Alabama last season. Drake is a speedy slasher who played the role of Reggie Bush for offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, while Henry played the role of LenDale White (ironically, once a Titans draft choice from USC.)
“Playing for Lane, (Drake’s) got a good variety of things,” Gase said. “Being in that system with (Alabama Head) Coach Saban, that benefits guys quite a bit; just the way that you should practice, the way that you should go about your business.”
The Dolphins drafted the cornerback Howard and the running back Drake. If they had elected to reverse priorities, they could have selected Henry in the second and a cornerback such as KeiVarae Russell (Notre Dame), Daryl Worley (West Virginia) or Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech) in the third.
Henry was a workhorse back at Alabama, a violent, physical runner who reminds some of Eddie George. Drake was a dynamic playmaker, making big plays on special teams and an exciting receiving threat.
At Alabama, Henry had 602 carries, averaging 6.0 yards with 42 touchdowns. Drake had only 233 carrries, averaging 6.4 yards with 18 touchdowns.
At the start of the season, Alabama had 42 players on active NFL rosters, tied for most with LSU.
http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...d-derrick-henry-in-draft-landed-kenyan-drake/
