Raven Country

Underrated Ravens RB Gets His Flowers

Derrick Henry is the star of the show, but another Baltimore Ravens running back deserves his respect too.

Jon Alfano

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry is still one of the best in the league at 31 years old, and after signing a two-year, $30 million extension on Wednesday, he will continue to be the feature back for at least a bit longer.

As great as Henry is, he can't take every single snap out of the backfield. Fortunately, the Ravens also have a very good complementary back to spell him.

Justice Hill had the best season of his career in 2024 while playing behind Henry. He only had 228 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, but his true value came as a receiver out of the backfield - as he had 42 receptions for 383 yards and three touchdowns last season - and as an extra blocker. His full impact may not show up on the stat sheet, but he's absolutely a key part of Baltimore's offensive machine.

Pro Football Focus' Jonathon Macri gave Hill some well-deserved recognition, naming him as the Ravens' most underrated player.

"Derrick Henry is at the forefront of the conversation around the Ravens' backfield as one of the top names at his position in the league. However, Hill is the unsung hero of the unit, playing primarily on passing downs to provide Henry a breather so he can dominate on early downs," Macri wrote. "Hill earned a top-five PFF receiving grade (89.0) in 2024, bringing in [42 of 51 targets for 383 yards and three receiving touchdowns]."

Hill is essentially the textbook definition of what it means to be a Raven. He shows up, plays his role well while fully embracing his place as a complementary piece, and is fully supportive of his teammates every step of the way. He may not be a superstar, but he's someone Baltimore is very happy to have on the field and in the locker room.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

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