Miami Dolphins: Gerrid Doaks a 2021 rookie sleeper at RB

If you are a fantasy football player and want to look really smart at some point in the 2021 NFL season, you might consider taking a late-round shot on Miami Dolphins rookie running back Gerrid Doaks. Wait a second — who?

The Miami Dolphins had a boatload of picks in the first couple of days of the 2021 NFL Draft. They used their top pick on Alabama playmaker Jaylen Waddle before going after pass rusher Jaelan Phillips followed by Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg and Oregon safety Jevon Holland, all in just the first two rounds.

In the third round, they grabbed Boston College tight end Hunter Long, adding yet another weapon to a growing list of playmakers on the offensive side of the football.

What was slightly surprising if not just flat out shocking about the Miami Dolphins’ 2021 NFL Draft class was a lack of early-round running back. The Dolphins were a popular destination in mock draft scenarios for Alabama running back Najee Harris, and the Denver Broncos had to jump them in the second round to get North Carolina’s Javonte Williams.

Perhaps the Dolphins just had a couple of particular players in mind if they were available at specific picks, but they didn’t end up drafting a running back at all until the seventh round when they took…Cincinnati’s Gerrid Doaks?

You will not get more excited about a 244th overall pick in the NFL Draft than this.

Doaks was productive on a per-touch basis at Cincinnati, leading the team in rushing twice and averaging over five yards per carry over three seasons of work as essentially the team’s RB1. He only carried the ball 331 times for the Bearcats, so the wear and tear here is not bad, plus he showed he’s more than capable as a receiver and pass blocker.

In addition to being very impressive physically, Doaks has some really strong reps as a pass blocker where his physicality comes into play. He absolutely lays into defenders and welcomes contact.

At just a shade under six feet tall, Doaks weighs in at a rock solid 228 pounds and with almsot a 78-inch wingspan, he has one of the rarest body types you will see at the running back position.

Although his 4.58 in the 40-yard dash is slightly below the average for running backs these days (more and more RBs are running in the mid-4.5s), Doaks has awesome explosiveness and showed that at his pro day with a 39.5-inch vertical jump.

With a very good relative athletic score overall, Doaks has the physical and athletic makeup of a starting NFL running back. The next thing he needs? A shot.

The Miami Dolphins’ lack of movement at the running back position in the 2021 offseason has paved the way for Doaks to potentially make huge waves for them. Myles Gaskin (another former 7th-round pick) and Malcolm Brown are presently atop the Dolphins’ depth chart at running back.

There’s no question that, if given a fair shot, Doaks could play a lot as a rookie especially with his abilities as a pass protector and receiver out of the backfield.

This pick could end up being a really fun steal for the Miami Dolphins and for you at your 2021 fantasy football draft.