The Las Vegas Raiders’ running back, Kenyan Drake, received plenty of praise earlier today as his position coach, Kennedy Polamalu, spoke about the returning player.
There were some mixed reactions when the Raiders picked up Drake last offseason. Spending big money on a running back seemed like an unaffordable luxury, especially since the team already had Josh Jacobs. However, Drake’s versatility was seen as a major addition to the Raiders’ offense. Regrettably, it seemed that Drake stagnated early on, with many pointing to the coaching staff’s inability to use him correctly. Now, Drake is bouncing back from a serious ankle injury and will play a pivotal role in Josh McDaniels’ running back committee. Polamalu, the Raiders’ running back coach, was asked about his impression of Drake in the early goings of training camp.
“(He’s) smart. All of them (are) smart ball players. There’s a savvy vet – just learning the new terminology, and he’s picked it up pretty good. He’s working hard at it, trying to be detailed. It’s just a new language for a lot of the guys, but they’re working hard and they’re helping each other. The more they talk about it, the better it happens for them.”
Kenyan Drake is thriving at Raiders training camp
The former Arizona Cardinal recently mentioned that he’s feeling good so far as he adjusts to a new offensive system under McDaniels. Coach Polamalu can also concur with that sentiment as he praised Drake’s veteran experience as an important factor in quickly picking up the offense.
Drake was originally brought in because of what he could do on the ground but also through the air. Prior to joining the Raiders last year, Drake had caught 75 receptions from 2019-2020. When healthy, Drake brings a multi-faceted layer to the offense, and with all signs trending upward, it appears Raiders fans will finally witness that.
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*Top Photo: Rick Scuteri/AP