Ravens RB Justice Hill 'Made Most' of Camp with J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards Out
Much of the attention on the Baltimore Ravens' backfield this summer has gone toward who hasn't been on the field as opposed to those who has been.
With lead ball carrier J.K. Dobbins holding out of mandatory minicamp and complementary rusher Gus Edwards participating only in camp, not OTAs, plenty of questions have emerged surrounding the state of Baltimore's running backs room.
But during a time of uncertainty, Justice Hill was a steady presence during the spring and early summer after signing a two-year, $4.5 million contract that can be worth up to $5 million during free agency.
As a result of Dobbins and Edwards not being frequent contributors, Hill spent many practices as the Ravens' first team running back ... and according to coach John Harbaugh, performed well in the role.
"He did a good job," Harbaugh said. "All those reps helped him. Repetition is the name of the game. (It's an) opportunity to get better. You get better or you get worse - it takes 100 percent effort to get one percent better. You're going to say, 'Well, he's throwing all these cliches out.' Yes, but they are cliches for a reason; there's truth involved.
"Some of these are self-evident truths. Justice made the most of it."
Hill, 25, was drafted by Baltimore in the fourth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has developed into a steady contributor on both offense and special teams.
This past season, Hill rushed for a career-high 262 yards and 5.3 yards per carry on 49 attempts and caught 12 passes for 58 yards in a bounce-back effort after missing all of 2021 with a torn Achilles.
The 5-10, 200-pound Hill also returned kickoffs, taking 10 kicks for 247 yards, including a 56-yard return against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.
During the 2020 season, Hill played in 61 percent of Baltimore's special teams snaps across 12 games and was on the field for 56 percent of such snaps this past year.
Hill is a key contributor on both punt and kick coverage units, logging 15 tackles in his last two healthy seasons, including six in 2022.
And now, if his showing in OTAs and mandatory minicamp is any indication, he could be en route to a larger role on offense this fall for the Ravens as they seek to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter at @DFlickDraft
Follow the Baltimore Ravens Daily Blitz Podcast
Follow Raven Country on Twitter and Facebook
Ravens Alert! Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Baltimore Ravens?
