ASU Football: Kalen Ballage drafted by Miami Dolphins

ASU football running back Kalen Ballage was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round (131st overall) and will get to learn from veteran Frank Gore.

Running back Kalen Ballage of Arizona State is headed to the Miami Dolphins after being selected with the 131st pick in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Ballage entered the draft as one unknowns of the draft after having an up and down college career which included tying the FBS record with eight touchdowns in one game while largely splitting carries during his career.

While his career work was mostly split with fellow draft prospect Demario Richard, Ballage was an intriguing prospect due to his uber-athleticism. His skills on paper look like the key qualities needed to be a successful running back in the league but his lack of production in college is a concern.

In Miami, Ballage will have the opportunity to learn from Frank Gore who has racked up over 14,000 rushing yards in his 13-year career. Gore reached over 1,000 yards nine times during his career and will be a key mentor to Ballage.

He joins Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, tight end Mike Gesicki of Penn State, Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker, and Durham Smythe tight end of Notre Dame in the Dolphins’ draft class.

Ballage will enter a situation in Miami where he will be able to compete for playing time right away as his top competition will be Kenyan Drake. Drake ran for 644 yards on 133 attempts.

The addition of Ballage will bolster what has mostly been a weak rushing offense for the Dolphins who were 29th in the NFL last season in rushing. The return of Ryan Tannehill should take off some of the workload for the running backs as teams will have to play the pass more than last season with Jay Cutler at the helm.

While Ballage is a capable runner, his best use for Miami will most likely come from a hybrid role. His unique combination of size and speed serve him well as a runner, but his lack of vision and pass-blocking skills will most likely put Ballage in the slot to catch passes.

This hybrid role was most recently used with Christian McCaffrey who ran for 435 yards while picking up 651 receiving yards on 80 receptions. Ballage will use his receiving skills combined with returning kicks to make an immediate impact for Miami while competing for time at the running back position.

Next: 2018 NFL Draft Profile: Running back Kalen Ballage

In the long run, Ballage could be the go-to guy for Miami if he proves effective in the running game. In order to get to this point, Ballage will have to improve his pass-blocking technique and prove he can stay healthy and maintain a heavy workload, something he never got the opportunity to do at Arizona State.