How Davante Adams Could Compare to Derrick Henry

In early March, Davante Adams hit free agency for the first time in his life. One year ago, Derrick Henry navigated a similar path.

Now, the Rams are very much hoping Adams can have the type of season Henry produced with his new team in 2024. ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell picked Adams as one of his star movers this past offseason.

“The veteran star who finds the fountain of youth after moving to a better offensive situation,” Barnwell said, comparing Henry and Adams. “And certainly, I don't think you'll find many people who will argue that playing with Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay and the Rams is worse off for Adams than the Raiders or the mess that was the 2024 Jets.”

In his first year with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Henry registered 1,921 rushing yards (the second-highest total of his career) and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns.

While Henry was helping Baltimore to a 12-5 record, Adams was doing his best with a pair of struggling teams. Combined with Las Vegas and New York, he finished with 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns over a 14-game season obviously affected by his October trade to rejoin former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Barnwell noted that the outlier during the wide receiver’s season was the Jets’ win at Jacksonville, where Adams registered 198 yards and two touchdowns – including 135 in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter.

And for that reason and others, Barnwell said he’s not as quick to predict Adams will enjoy as much success as Henry with his new team. The metrics show Adams still has the ability to get open and find soft spots in opponent coverages, and Barnwell believes the All-Pro will improve his production with Puka Nacua in the same huddle.

But the veteran’s best days could be behind him, leaving Barnwell hesitant to project Adams as the next Henry.

“Adams turns 33 in December,” Barnwell wrote, “and while he might feel ageless, his performance has dropped from the All-Pro level he showed at his peak in Green Bay. The shift to the Rams should help him, but it's tough to find receivers who make significant improvements in their mid-30s.

“Adams has been a star for nearly a decade, but it's also fair to point out the vast majority of his success has come with quarterbacks he has developed a long chemistry with in Rodgers and Derek Carr, who helped Adams earn his final All-Pro nod in Las Vegas in 2022 and was his college teammate at Fresno State. Adams won't have that same familiarity with Stafford, at least at the beginning of the season.”

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