In half a season with the Arizona Cardinals, Kenyan Drake blasted through the roof, proving to be the perfect running back for Kliff Kingsbury's system.
Entering his second season in the desert, Drake believes he can reach even higher in 2020.
"I feel like my ceiling is as high as I'll take it," Drake said Tuesday, via the team's official website. "I can't do anything but put the work in right now and take that into whenever the season starts.
"I have personal goals for myself. ... I'm not looking for anything specific, I just want to help this team win as much as possible."
After a midseason trade from Miami, Drake's first game with Arizona was a Thursday night thriller against San Francisco in which the running back took 15 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown while adding another four catches for 52 yards. Having sat out the previous weekend with Miami, Drake looked like a fresh rusher should against an opponent on short rest.
The performance, however, proved not to be an aberration.
In eight games with the Cards, Drake compiled 643 rushing yards, averaged 5.2 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns. The dual-threat back also added 28 catches for 171 yards. Extrapolate those 814 yards over 16 games, and Drake would have landed eighth in the NFL in scrimmage yards in 2019.
The Cards ensured Drake wouldn't escape Arizona by using the transition tag on the running back. They then unclogged the position by unloading David Johnson in a trade with Houston for wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
Drake, who has never missed an NFL game due to injury, said he's ready for whatever level of workload Kingsbury needs. Multiple coaching staffs in Miami didn't trust Drake to handle a big load, but with Kingsbury he has a chance to be a workhorse as the veteran in the room. Rounding out the Cardinals' RB depth chart are Chase Edmonds, who showed flashes in his rookie season before Drake's arrival, and 2020 seventh-round pick Eno Benjamin.
"The best ability is availability is what I heard in my time (and) since I've been in the league I've been pretty healthy," Drake said. "I'm trying to put my body in a situation where I can take a load or get 'X' amount of carries or touches in general and help this team win as many games as possible, touch the ball as much as possible."
Drake reiterated that he's not fretting about a new long-term contract. He's just focusing on the upcoming season.
"I feel like anybody who plays this game is obviously looking for stability and a long-term contract," Drake said. "But we got the deal done to where we are currently, and everything else will take care of itself. All I can do is focus on the things I can control.
"I'm excited to put the work in now and let everything else handle itself at an appropriate time."
