Ravens Star Earns Elite Grade for Unique Concept

Derrick Henry doesn't need much more to be considered one of the best running backs of the modern era. He not only put up absurd season-to-season statistics on a demanding workload, but extended his prime to remain effective once he transitioned from the Tennessee Titans after nearly a decade of commitment to the Baltimore Ravens.

He continued to shrug off signs of fatigue with a league-leading 16 rushing touchdowns in his age-30 season, proving that he remains one of the toughest men in the sport to bring down and coupling with a perennial MVP candidate in quarterback Lamar Jackson to turn the Ravens offense from good to unstoppable. He did his work on 325 attempts and totaled 1,925 yards on the ground, which could have hung with any of his high-usage seasons in Tennessee.

It was no surprise, then, that he graded out as the best back in the league within several specific run concepts. He joined the 90+ club in the PFF scoring system on outside zone, power and trap plays, good enough to top nearly half of the eight concepts listed.

His effectiveness as a power back was no surprise, with his raw strength and size making it nearly impossible to be taken down by just one tackler. The Ravens utilized Henry as much as they could in 2024, and were sure to take note of all of the leaderboards he worked his way onto with his downhill presence.

"Henry saw his highest volume of power rushes since his second season in the league (59 carries in 2017) and earned a career-best 90.0 PFF rushing grade on those plays in 2024," Lauren Gray of PFF compiled. "He led the league in attempts (54), touchdowns (nine) and first downs (27), and gained 227 total rushing yards (second most). He finished second in missed tackles forced (six) and explosive runs (six) while ranking in the top three in yards gained before (73) and after contact (154)."

And that's been nothing new with age. He's prevailed one of the most powerful rusher in the game on his token high responsibility level like few have entering his late-20s, the only running back to record double-digit touchdowns from power plays, with 76.3% of his yards coming after contact.

He wasn't just a brute force presence in 2024, though. He worked with the Ravens offensive line, a position group that's been repeatedly tabbed as arguably the team's weakest point, and thrived in deception-based plays.

When the rest of the team funneled the defense to one tilted side of the field, there was Henry to take advantage of the outside zone. "Henry turned 131 outside-zone rushes into 933 yards last season — the most yardage he’s gained on such plays since 2020," Gray wrote.

"The former Tennessee Titan leads the league with 379 outside-zone rushes for 2,028 yards over the past three seasons. He also ranks first with 47 rushes of 10-plus yards. In that span, Henry has gained 72 first downs (tied for third most), forced 88 missed tackles (second most) and rushed for five touchdowns on those plays."

Even when the Ravens offense dabbled in the rare trick-adjacent trap, requiring a purposely-misleading blocking scheme to open up a sudden hole for the rusher, Henry thrived.

"Prior to 2024, Henry never recorded more than three trap carries in a season," Gray reported. "He ran 13 times for 200 yards (most) and a touchdown in his first season in Baltimore, gaining seven first downs and recording six runs of 10-plus yards. Henry forced four missed tackles and averaged 11.8 yards before contact per attempt on trap runs, a PFF single-season record. He was one of two rushers (Bucky Irving) to post a 0.0% stuff rate."

Henry's season ef excellence didn't win him Offensive Player of the Year, but some of these age-defying numbers are why he's a similar favorite to compete for top honors again this fall alongside Jackson. Together, they form arguably the most dynamic rushing tandem in NFL history, and stand to continue making history together in another season of contention.