Drake is expected to receive "major run" in his Cardinals debut Thursday against the 49ers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
The Cardinals are expected to be without their top two options out of the backfield in Week 9, as Chase Edmonds (hamstring) has been ruled out, while David Johnson (ankle) is questionable but unlikely to play. Those likely absences leave Drake -- who was acquired from the Dolphins on Monday -- Zach Zenner and Alfred Morris as the lone healthy options at running back. Considering Zenner and Morris only joined the roster one week earlier, they won't hold much of an advantage in terms of system experience, giving Drake a good chance to lead the Arizona running game right off the bat. Even if granted a big role right away, Drake may struggle to find much success against a swarming San Francisco defense.