Why Ravens Rookie RB Fell to Fifth Round

The Baltimore Ravens didn't expect to get their hands on their newest running back.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2024

Nov 13, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd running back Rasheen Ali (22) / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

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Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens were eyeing running backs ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft as the team said goodbye to JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards.

While the team signed Derrick Henry, the depth behind him was questionable, and that's why the team was thrilled that Marshall's Rasheen Ali fell to them in the fifth round. The Ravens had a high grade for Ali and were surprised to see him fall, but there's a reason for his drop in the draft.

"He's an explosive player. I think one of the reasons that Rasheen – if you say he fell – he fell because he hurt his biceps," general manager Eric DeCosta said. "So, that's probably one of the reasons. When we evaluate running backs, we're looking for specific things. Certainly, ball security is one of those things, but this is an explosive guy, very shifty, good vision, [and] he runs hard – all those different things."

The injury concerns are valid, but, he's not the only one who has gotten hurt playing football before, and every pick comes with risks. It can be about technique, character, size or injuries, and it just so happens to be the latter for Ali.

That being said, the Ravens clearly see something valuable with him, and he'll have a chance to fixture into the team's running back rotation with Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill.

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Published Apr 30, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.