Derrick Henry put on a clinic in 2024, turning back the clock and proving that he’s still one of the NFL’s best running backs. He carried the ball 367 times for the Baltimore Ravens last year, including the playoffs, and was rewarded with a contract extension.
Henry is one of the key cogs to Baltimore’s offense, but who would carry the load if the five-time Pro Bowler isn’t on the field?
Who’s Behind Derrick Henry on the Ravens Depth Chart?
Henry had an incredible resurgence last season after an uncharacteristically down final season with the Tennessee Titans. The big ball carrier rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in the 2024 regular season and added 270 yards and three more scores in the team’s two playoff games.
Lamar Jackson does plenty of running himself, but two running backs have been competing to be Henry’s primary backup during training camp. Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell are staking their claim to the job, and Hill appears to have the edge. D’Ernest Johnson, Rasheen Ali, and Myles Gaskin round out the Ravens’ running back room.
Hill has been with the Ravens since the team made him a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s never had more than 84 carries in a season, but he’s been a reliable change-of-pace runner who can be a productive receiver out of the backfield.
Mitchell has had a tougher start to his NFL career. After going undrafted in 2023, he played in eight games as a rookie before tearing his ACL in Week 15. He returned for the final five games of the 2024 regular season and totaled 30 yards on 15 carries, adding one catch for 28 yards.
Keaton Mitchell
In 2023, only De’Von Achane scored more fantasy points per touch than Keaton Mitchell.
That season was the last time he was fully healthy…
Until now.
Ravens valuable RB2 role
~ 3 Targets/Game
~ 40% SnapsCurrently dominating preseason.pic.twitter.com/yiPmBt29ie https://t.co/ncu9VwppgZ
— Joe Orrico (@JoeOrricoFF) August 20, 2025
Mitchell is healthy heading into the regular season and should be a wrinkle for Baltimore’s offense. Fantasy football writer Joe Orrico recently tweeted, “In 2023, only De’Von Achane scored more fantasy points per touch than Keaton Mitchell. That season was the last time he was fully healthy… Until now.” Could Mitchell take the backup job from Hill?
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Baltimore surprisingly does not have a rookie running back on its roster. Ali appeared in six games after the team made him a fifth-round pick last year, and both Johnson and Gaskin are entering their first year with the team after six seasons each as journeymen.
The Ravens are set for another deep playoff run and will once again try to get over the hump in the postseason. Jackson is the team’s most important player, but Henry and the running game are the engine that makes the offense go.
If he’s not on the field, Baltimore still has a potent attack. Hill and Mitchell have one more preseason game to earn the backup role before the team opens the regular season at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football.
