Miami Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin made the most of his opportunities against the Atlanta Falcons

Running back Myles Gaskin played in just four games during Mike McDaniel’s first season as head coach but the fifth-year running back seems determined to earn a larger role.

The former seventh-round pick gashed the Atlanta Falcons for more than eight yards per carry on Friday night. Rookie De’Von Achane led the Miami Dolphins with ten carries, but Gaskin ran for a team-high 57 rushing yards on seven carries.

He caught two passes for 20 yards while Achane added another 41 receiving yards on four receptions. The Dolphins are carving out a role for the rookie who touched the ball a team-high 14 times. Achane played 33 snaps, 17 more than Gaskin.

Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. will share the majority of work at running back in the regular season, but Gaskin made a strong case for a roster spot with 77 total yards on nine touches while playing just 23 percent of snaps.

“Well, you’re trying to spread out those opportunities with the individual lines and making sure that the competition at the running back position is settled on the field,” McDaniel said on Friday. “I was happy with Myles, De’Von, Chris [Brooks], ‘SA’ [Salvon Ahmed] got in a couple third downs. But it’s so important in preseason for backs to take advantage of the opportunities given because you do have to – if you’re trying to settle it fairly, you have to distribute opportunities amongst the three games.

“You only get three opportunities to get tackled with the ball in your hand, to the ground, and so these are vital and I thought the guys that got opportunities tonight took advantage of them.”

Miami’s 390 rushing attempts ranked second-fewest behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year and the Dolphins are determined to frequently utilize the rushing attack in 2023. Gaskin may not catch fire and carry the workload, but he’s once again showcasing his ability as a reliable running back.

The Dolphins feature plenty of firepower on the offensive side of the football and it’ll be important to consider that while Gaskin may not overachieve if given an extended opportunity — he’ll rarely derail a drive with a drop or penalty.