How can a player not good enough to start in college play in the NFL?

Pretty simple if you’re Kenyan Drake and you played behind a Heisman Trophy winner on the nation’s most talented team.

Winning one of 150 or more NFL running back spots is much easier than winning the starting running back spot at Alabama, where starting running backs are annual Heisman candidates.

Drake is projected as a third-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

“He has so many things that he does well,” Nick Saban said prior to the 2015 season. “He has great speed. He has very good running skills and running instincts, but he’s a fantastic receiver.

Though Drake rushed for only 408 yards with 276 yards in receptions in his senior season at Alabama, he showed NFL ability. The versatile playmaker was also an outstanding kick returner, averaging 26.58 yards per return with one touchdown.

Drake’s spectacular 95-yard kick return for a TD was a key play in the Crimson Tide’s national championship victory over Clemson.

So Drake could contribute to an NFL team in several ways.

“I think he has a great future because he’s sort of a speciality back,” Tide coach Nick Saban said. “He’s a great receiver, he’ll be a great third-down back. He can play receiver or play running back. He’s a very good special teams player. Everybody’s looking for guys like Kenyan Drake.”

At Alabama, Drake played behind Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon and Henry, but was a  consistent contributor for four years, rushing for almost 1,495 yards and 18 TD despite missing more than half his junior season with a broken leg.

As a sophomore, he played ahead of Henry as the No. 2 option behind Yeldon. Heisman history could have been different if he hadn’t suffered the broken leg in 2014, opening a clear path for Henry to take the starting spot.

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds with breakaway speed, Drake has outstanding pro potential.

Perhaps just as important, Drake has proven himself to be a team player, staying at Alabama as a backup for four years.