Stuck behind Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore, Ballage was basically invisible to begin his rookie season, seeing most of his action on special teams and not playing more than eight offensive snaps in a game until Week 15, when Gore got hurt in the first quarter. Ballage immediately seized his opportunity, erupting for 123 yards and a TD on only 12 carries. The Arizona State product fizzled the final two weeks, but that performance was enough for Miami to let Gore walk in free agency and head into 2019 with Ballage poised for a much larger role. Athletically, he has all the tools you want in a feature back, and his wheels in the open field are elite --- on his 75-yard TD run against Minnesota he topped out at 21.87 mph, the seventh-fastest speed recorded in the league last year. Ballage never really put everything together in college, though, and one good week in the pros does not a career make. With Drake at the top of the depth chart, the second-year back's workload is no sure thing, but new offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea's background under Bill Belichick hints at a backfield committee. The team didn't bring in much competition in the draft or free agency, so Ballage should get every opportunity to demonstrate he can handle more snaps, especially after Drake suffered a foot injury in mid-August.

Ballage looks the part of a future NFL feature back before the pads come on. At an imposing 6-1, 228, the Arizona State product ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine, and his athleticism was on full display as a junior when he exploded for an FBS single-game record eight TDs against Texas Tech. Despite his gifts, Ballage fell to the fourth round in the 2018 draft due to his inability to put everything together. He doesn't run with as much power as his frame or gym strength would suggest, and despite his impressive straight-line speed he lacks the elusiveness or vision to get into the open field to use it. He does have some skills as a receiver and a return man, and that might be where he makes his mark as a rookie working behind Kenyan Drake. The Dolphins also signed 35-year-old Frank Gore to compete for backup work, but he's unlikely to play beyond 2018.