The Baltimore Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry to a two-year deal in free agency last month, adding a much-needed weapon to their offensive arsenal.
Or did they?
An NFL scout isn’t so sure, telling the NFL Analysis Network that he doesn’t think Henry will bring a whole lot to the table for the Ravens.
“I’m not going to say that this was a bad move, but it doesn’t move the needle much for Baltimore,” the scout said. “Derrick Henry is not the same Derrick Henry from a few years ago. He’ll put up solid numbers, but he’s not an elite level running back anymore.”
Baltimore went 13-4 this past season, finishing with the best record in the league. However, it fell to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 17-10 in the AFC Championship Game, putting forth a lifeless offensive performance.
It became blatantly obvious that Lamar Jackson was in need of some more pieces, and while it probably would have behooved the Ravens to add another wide receiver, they signed Henry to bolster their backfield.
The move was widely lauded at the time, but the scout may have a point.
Yes, Henry rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season with the Tennessee Titans, but he averaged just 4.2 yards per carry.
The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He led the league in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in back-to-back campaigns in 2019 and 2020, topping out at 2,027 yards and 17 scores in the latter season. He also logged over five yards per attempt both years.
Derrick Henry has not come close to posting that type of efficiency since, as his highest mark since then is the 4.4 yards per tote he registered in 2022.
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