Raven Country

Ravens Superstar Duo Land in NFL’s Top 10 Players

The Baltimore Ravens' two biggest stars have the complete respect of their peers.
Jon Alfano|
Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) hands off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) hands off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

When the Baltimore Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry in March of 2024, fans and pundits could only imagine how special the pairing of him and quarterback Lamar Jackson would be.

As it turns out, it was pretty darn special.

Jackson and Henry formed one of the most dominant quarterback-running back duos in football, with both of them having one of the best seasons of their legendary careers. The former threw for a career-high 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions, and added 915 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while the latter rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. Along the way, they set numerous individual and team records in an unforgettable year.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson
Dec 25, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smile after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Of course, it was expected that both players would rank very highly on this year's NFL Top 100, the question was where exactly they'd fall. Jackson claimed the No. 2 spot on the list, only behind Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, while Henry wasn't far behind at No. 7.

Jackson remained in the same spot as he was on last year's list, but that is not a slight to him at all. In fact, numerous players voted him as their No. 1 pick.

"Bro, he's so hard to figure out," Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons said. "You just don't know what he's going to do, if he's going to throw it fast, if he's going to hold it, if he's going to run. Oh, man. Lamar, Lamar. I think he's been the best player. Going up against him for the first time, he was a headache."

Henry, on the other hand, jumped up all the way from No. 49 after he showed that he's still "King Henry," as he's called. He was the second-highest ranked running back on the list behind Barkley, who rushed for over 2,000 yards and won Offensive Player of the Year while helping his team win the Super Bowl. Both players had incredible first seasons with their new teams, so the respect between them is very apparent.

"The old man of the group, right?" Barkley said. "He's doing it at an older age in his 30s, and people say that running backs when you get in your 30s are done, and it's like 'no, maybe we're not.'"

It wasn't just fellow running backs that praised Henry, though, as opposing defenders are also well aware of how special he is.

"He's a guy that you don't want to get a full head of steam because he's about 240, 250 running downhill, and you try to tackle him, you try to, you know, lower your shoulder, put all you can into him, and he just stiff-arms you and throws you to the ground," New York Giants linebacker Okereke said.

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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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