Since being selected as the 234th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Washington State’s Myles Gaskin has been working hard to get a starting role with the Miami Dolphins. The 24-year-old running back may have spent his entire rookie year as a backup in South Beach, but things were different in his sophomore season. After the Dolphins were struck by the injury plague, Gaskin got the opportunity to become a starter for seven games in the 2020 NFL season.
Myles Gaskin Proves That He’s Ready For Starting Role
Gaskin didn’t waste the opportunity that was presented to him and established an impressive performance in seven of the 10 games that he played last season. Instead of being complacent, Gaskin doubled his effort in the 2021 NFL offseason to address some of the major weaknesses in his game, including his blocking. By doing this, not only did he improve his blocking, but he also managed to earn the trust of his coaches as a three-down back.
Days before the Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, Gaskin was listed as the Dolphins’ RB1 in their initial depth chart, per RotoBaller.
Myles Gaskin Talks About Being An Efficient Three-Down Running Back
In a recent interview with Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post, Gaskin revealed the things that are required from a three-down back in today’s NFL.
"Being consistent," Gaskin said. "Knowing his responsibilities, just like anything else. Just being able to do their job to the best of their abilities. For myself, if it’s running the ball – running hard, hitting the right holes, communicating with the o-line, what they see, what I see. If it’s receiving – getting open, catching the ball when it comes to you. And if it’s blocking, like I said before, just working on it and being able to be where I am now."
Coach Brian Flores Explains Why They Choose Myles Gaskin As Three-Down Running Back
Making Gaskin their starting running back in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season has gained strong support from the Dolphins’ coaching staff, including Coach Brian Flores. Since last season, Flores admitted that he and the other coaches were impressed and appreciated Gaskin’s work ethic.
"Professionalism," Flores said of what they liked the most about Gaskin. "He’s a guy who is in early, out late, doing extras – whether it’s Jugs, whether it’s running routes, whether it’s film study – and all of the work that he puts in."
Myles Gaskin Could Take Advantage Of Patriots’ Average Defense
After gaining his coaches’ trust, the only thing that Gaskin needs to do right now is to prove that they made the right decision. Luckily, Gaskin’s first game as the Dolphins’ RB1 in the 2021 NFL season would be against the New England Patriots. According to RotoBaller, the Patriots are considered as "average" when it comes to stopping running backs so Gaskin is highly expected to get a handful of carries at the minimum and few targets through the air as well in their upcoming game.
