The King Returns? Derrick Henry Set to Reclaim Crown in Ravens Offense
The Baltimore Ravens' biggest strength just got much stronger as Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry joined the AFC North champions.
While some think Henry is starting to decline due to the physical nature of the running back position, he still has plenty of juice left in the tank.
Let's not forget, he was running behind one of the worst offensive lines last year and still put up 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns. Now, in Baltimore, PFF's Sam Monson thinks that in Todd Monken's scheme, King Henry has every chance of returning.
“I don’t think we should be overlooking the fact that Derrick Henry is still Derrick Henry," Monson said on NFL Total Access. “He’s been running behind the worst offensive line in the NFL for the last two years, over that time, he’s still averaged three and a half yards after contact. That’s an incredibly high number. If you put any decent offensive line in front of him, I think you’re going to see King Henry return, and that’s before you even get to what happens with Lamar Jackson taking all the attention away from him, the threat he brings as both a runner and as a passing quarterback.”
Looking at Henry's stats over the last couple of seasons, despite his yards per game dropping, he has still been super productive, notching over 1,000 rushing yards in each season, along with a combined 25 rushing touchdowns.
That was behind a poor offensive line and in a team where he had to be the leading source of the attack - not anymore.
With Lamar Jackson, Keaton Mitchell, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Nelson Agholor, and Justice Hill, Henry won't be counted on to shoulder all of the offensive load.
Baltimore moved to be a more pass-orientated offense last season as Jackson had career highs in passing yards and attempts, yet the Ravens were still the NFL's leading rushing team.
The Ravens have made their strength even better, and behind an offensive line that still needs work, there's every chance that King Henry could return in a devastating way in 2024.
